good morning. nature's fury, tornadoes tear across wisconsin, leveling dozens of homes a day after a massive twister destroyed more than half of one iowa town. a storm chaser is rolling as he's caught right in the middle of it. we'll hear from him. one of their own. police in new york intensify the search for a serial killer believed to be responsible for at least eight murders, this morning why investigators think the suspect could have ties to law enforcement. at last look, prince william

and kathryn make their final public appearances before the royal wedding. we're with them today april 11, 2011. >> good morning. welcome to today on a monday morning. i'm matt lauer. >> good morning. i'm savannah guthrie in for meredith today. the storms that spawned the midwest, matt. >> i guess the most devastating was iowa. look at the storm chaser almost looks like something out of oz, whereabout 100 buildings were damaged. and thankfully, no one was

killed. >> also ahead, bernie madoff speaking out in another jailhouse interview and the convicted ponzi schemer now claims a number of prestigious universities are interested in hiring him to teach, get this, business ethics classes. is it true or just another con? details coming up. the teenager, whose quest to sail around the world alone nearly came to a tragic end when begin with powerful storms in the midwest. chris warren from the weather channel is in merrill, wisconsin. good morning. >> reporter: take a look at this. this is what's left of an old gas station. over here, the top of an outbuilding, the roof torn off. beside it you see a house almost completely gone. those two cars were in the garage. the garage is now somewhere

else. keep in mind this is just some of the damage from what was a very destructive weekend. [ sirens ] >> reporter: as a twister approached and the sky grew black, tornado sirens sounded here in merrill. more than half a dozen twisters hit wisconsin sunday night. in merrill it destroyed and damaged dozens of home sending two people to the hospital with injuries. >> it's a lot of damage. it's pretty much wiped out. >> reporter: many roads with impassable due to downed trees leaving emergency workers struggling to make their way through the areas blocked by debris. >> get back! >> reporter: in western iowa a quarter mile wide twister tore through the town of maple ton. storm chaser andy gabrielson was there as a tornado roared through. >> it happened so fast. we were 50 yards away from it. we blew out the back window.

we had a dust swirl and before we knew it, we had a full blown large tornado. >> reporter: winds up to 165 miles per hour hit mapleton, injuring 14 people and damaging block after block. in north dakota, heavy flooding with the red river cresting at nearly 38 feet the coast guard and nationalle guard were called to rescue people. in the southeast, a separate system brought golf ball-sized hail to south carolina damaging david cosk's backyard. >> it was going right through it. run right through it, putting holes in it. it was that bad. >> reporter: in virginia, two tornadoes injured eight people and damaged hundreds of homes. >> it's hard to look at this and think that this is where i grew up. my house is completely gone. >> reporter: we are seeing scenes like that here in merrill, wisconsin. residents have to work to put

the pieces back together. as utility crews are working, as they have been through the night to get the lights back on. matt, back to you. >> that's the weather channel's chris warren in wisconsin this morning. chs, thank you very much. >> we can hear the wind in chris's live shot. what can we expect today? al roker has details. good morning. >> good morning. here's what's going on. we have a frontal system. this cold front, cold air behind it, warm air ahead of it and that's a recipe for disaster. dallas, there is a thunderstorm watch in effect. this is the risk for today into tonight from alexandra, louisiana, to albany, new york and everywhere in between. damaging winds, isolated tornadoes but much of the damage will be from straight line winds. rainfall amounts generally one to two inches. some areas could have three to four. the damage will be from the winds and temperatures could be record-breaking. behind it, colder air. that's coming up in the next ten

minutes. savannah? >> al, thanks. >> let's check on the other top stories. tamron hall is filling in at the news desk while ann is off today. good morning to you. >> good morning, everyone. a powerful 6.6 magnitude tremor rocked japan again, exactly one month since the massive earthquake and tsunami put the island nation on the brink of nuclear catastrophe. john yang has the latest from tokyo. john, good morning. >> reporter: good morning, tamron. this was just the strongest of several sharp aftershocks today that rattled tokyo and northern japan. there was a tsunami warning that was put into effect but quickly taken down. it did briefly interrupt power at the fukushima power plant where workers are struggling to limit the radiation being emitted from the plant. it came on the same day the government announced they are expanding the evacuation zone around the plant from 12 miles to 20 miles.

officials say that things seem to have stabilized at the power plant. things aren't getting worse anymore, but it will be quite ale while before things start getting better. tamron? >> john yang live for us in tokyo. after fierce fighting this weekend gadhafi has told the african union that he supports a cease-fire, but rebels are sticking to their demands that he step down immediately. stephanie gosk is in benghazi t with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, tamron. there is a protest that is growing outside of our hotel because that african union delegation is here to try to convince rebel leaders to agree to the peace plan they say gadhafi has signed off on. protesterers want gadhafi to step down and until he does, the fighting continues. the battle for ajdabiya, the second in a month, lasted two days. the town was crushed by gadhafi's artillery while rebels

responded with whatever they could. these fighterers strs struggled position makeshift rockets, even dropping the launcher before they fire. there were claims the government is relying on foreigners. this man is algerian, he said. we killed him. at a critical moment when it seemed the rebels would be outgunned, nato made a direct hit. for the last week, the rebels have been claiming that nato hasn't been helping. this is evidence of an air strike that did. criticism turned to praise. by the end of the day there was no sign of gadhafi's forces. the residents here fled days ago. their city is now in ruins. outside the hospital, the doctors -- some armed themselves -- are shell-shocked. [ speaking in a foreign language ] >> reporter: i have been here since the fighting began. i have seen death, he says, and all kinds of injuries. the people of ajdabiya urgently need a cease-fire. [ sirens ]

>> reporter: the peace plan would include an immediate cease-fire, humanitarian aid for places like misrata and the protection of foreignereforeign. >> thank you. ivory coast's laurent gbabo was attacked. he's come under scrutiny as human rights groups report that forces loyal to him are killing and raping civilians. a surprise winner at the 2011 masters. 26-year-old charles schwartzel won it as tiger woods played one of his strongest games in years. it is 7:09. back to matt, savannah and al. everybody is talking about mcilroy's meltdown. >> the pressure gets to them in the final round.

>> he melted? >> he's in a puddle. he said, take me back to ireland. >> oh, my gosh. i wish i had watched. >> he's only 21 years old. tough for him. you have a busy morning weatherwise. >> i do. as we mentioned ahead of the cold front that will cause trouble look at the temperatures. 85 in raleigh. washington, the same. newark, 82. atlanta, 84. records possible. go behind the system and temperatures are much chillier. highs only getting up to 58 in minneapolis. fargo, 56. chicago, 58 degrees. good morning to you. it's a little bit on the chilly side. you will need a jacket. we are going to see a nice monday. 45 in nava toe and 45 in san jose. we are going to round out the day in the 60s. 65 for santa rosa. 62 degrees for napa and con

tord. torp is better. rain arrives wednesday and will clear up quickly. 65 degrees. clear on thursday. and that's your latest weather. matt? >> al, thank you. now to washington where there is a new budget battle facing lawmakers on the heels of the last-minute deal to avert a government shutdown. this one's likely to be tougher and the stakes higher. chuck todd is nbc's chief white house correspondent. chuck, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, matt. the 11th hour budget deal to keep the government open, small potatoes compared to the fights coming up between the white house and congressional republicans. one is the idea of entitlement programs like medicare and social and the other is even closer which is raising the limit on america's credit card. barely becausing to consider the $38.5 billion in budget cuts he and congressional leaders agreed to. >> that's the kind of future

cooperation i hope we have going forward. >> reporter: mr. obama is looking forward with a speech on wednesday outlining his plan for more deficit reductions. >> we have to decide how are we going to reduce the deficit, get on a sustainable fiscal trajectory in a. >> reporter: the president is expected to ask for cuts in defense, medicare and medicaid as well as higher taxes on those making over $250,000 a year. republicans say it will have a bad effect on the economy. >> the problem with tax increases. the president raised taxes $800 million. you slow down economic growth. >> reporter: last week ryan proposed a plan to cut trillions and substantially change the way medicare and medicaid work. that's likely to be the next big entitlement fight. >> we are trying to save medicare and medicaid so they

are sustainable. >> reporter: democrats see ripe's plan differently. >> he ends medicare for seniors, requires them to go into the private insurance market and they have to eat all the rising costs of health care. >> reporter: there is another battle. republicans want to link the budget debate to the question of raising the nation's debt ceiling. >> budget reforms, caps, these are the things we have to have to go along with the debt limit increase. >> reporter: the public is skeptical. according to the latest poll, 62% say the ceiling should not be raised compared to 32% who say it should be. the white house says it shouldn't be a question and failing to raise it would be a disaster. >> we should not be playing brinksmanship with the full faith and credit of the united states of america. >> reporter: the leaders of both parties in congress and the white house all agree that the debt limit needs to be raised,

but in our poll we found the more you explain the issue, the more americans are against it, matt. >> all right. chuck todd at the white house this morning. let's try to explain it more. exactly what is the debt ceiling and why does it matter to you? here to explain jim cramer and ea erin burnett. what is it? >> this is how the nation pays our bills. we borrow money to pay the bills. you have one shot at it and if we don't raise the debt ceiling we'll default. look at greece, portugal. these are countries on the verge of default. >> erin, the debt ceiling is $14.294 trillion as of just a few minutes the national debt clock shows us that right now it's at $14.286 trillion, increasing by the second. why does it go up so quickly? >> because of all the

obligations we have. the debt ceiling -- we have social security, medicare, all the everything you're spending comes out of there. the problem is our revenue, what the government takes in in taxes, what you pay every month out of your paycheck is way smaller. somewhere around $2 trillion a year. that difference is what we borrow. >> when people heard a week worth of talk over this budget battle and hear $38 billion will be cut from the budget and they say, well, why is the debt going up so quickly, how are they related or not related? go ahead. >> first of all, as you aptly point out, that's a drop in the bucket. the amounts we are talking about are a drop in the bucket. we have to talk about entitlements, medicare and social security, it's 40% of the budget. unless we decide they can't go up quickly, what are we going to do, those are the questions we have to answer but not playing chicken with the debt. >> let's keep this to reality, jim. according to estimates, somewhere in the middle of may we will reach that debt ceiling.

what happens the minute we hit it? >> what will happen they will try to stepped it to july. there will be rating agencies, s&p, moody's, these determine how much you're allowed to bo borrow. they will suggest you shouldn't invest in u.s. debt if you're chinese. the chinese buy it, middle east, that's who buys it. they will be saying, why should we do this. why don't we buy the debt of the germans, the french. >> we lose our ability to borrow money. >> that's what's going to happen. >> we lose our ability to pay our bills. what is the affect on the overall economy at a rather fragile time for recovery? >> it would become much more expensive to borrow. anything that's gone through the financial crisis, mortgage rates go up, credit card rates go up. that's what happens to us as a country. we are a very wealthy country. if you look at our assets we could pay down the debt tomorrow. we choose to borrow because we borrow at incredibly low interest rates. our country because we are the safest country in the world has

the ability to borrow and pay down later. others don't have that -- >> it can go away. >> that's a risk we have now. >> are we most likely to see a major compromise here? >> we have to. everyone is playing with fire. we are no better than these european countries that are in trouble if we can't get this debt ceiling. >> jim cramer, erin burnett, catch their shows on cnbc. mad money anderin "squawk on the street" and "street signs." did i get it in? matt, thanks. kate middleton and prince william making their last public appearances before the royal wedding. in darwen, england with more on that and new details on the big day. michelle, good morning. >> hi, savannah. right. after today they will just be a married couple. nobody will pay attention

anymore. right. today they are all smiles opening a school in this miserable weather, highlighting the need for more green spaces, the kind of community changing work they both feel strongly about. next it will be time to get ready for their big day and the parties that will include everyone from billionaires to the people who work for them. cheers and love for william and kate who look like this is all second nature. the next time we see these two, they will be a bit nervously making that long walk to the alter. flanked by 1900 of their closest friends. >> you know what, i'll be right in the milling of it. >> reporter: you might say a motley crue, including the kings of jordan, bahrain and saudi arabia, the beckhams, elton john and mr. bean. >> a big show the world is

putting on and the world is watching great briton. we must deliver some kind of spectacle. >> prince charles might raise a few well groomed eyebrows, the millionaire whose family was accused of carrying a million dollars in their underwear through an airport. hey, who hasn't. an american whose bank was fined after a money laundering investigation. a transylvanian count, no relation to that one. what wedding is complete without a questionable uncle? check check on both sides. prince andrew and kate's hard party uncle gary. how about exes? check all around. kate reportedly will have two of hers in attendance from high school and college plus four of williams, including beautiful blue blood isabella who reportedly broke young will's

heart and who kate has felt threatened. hundreds of politicians and favorite charities added to the brew. >> do you wear high heel shoes when you're standing for hours are questions to answer. >> reporter: one of the biggest questions out there, who will be best man prince harry plus one. rumor has it his best on again off again girl chelsea. perhaps they will be next after all. hey, maybe she'll catch the book -- bouquet. can you imagine another royal wegd in a year. everyone should let their hair down in the afterparty. a full nightclub supposedly built inside buckingham palace. according to reports, it will be young folks only. >> all right. nightclub inside the palace. that's got to be a first.

live from london, thank you. we will be live with complete coverage of the wedding. it starts at 4:00 a.m. eastern, 1:00 a.m. pacific time. for much more on the big day and royal family, download our free royal wedding app on the ipad, iphone and android. the search for a serial killer dumping bodies on an area beach. why they believe the suspect could be tied to law enforcement. this is today on nbc. [ man ] i got this new citi thankyou card

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-- the job offer he claims he's received from prominent business schools. n's >> charlie shee n' one-man show doing more harm than good to his career? after your local news. it has plenty of natural goodness, but there's no added sugar. so, say, "hello," to 100% juice.

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good monday morning to you, 7:26. i'm laura garcia-cannon. people living near stanford university are being careful after a graduate student was attacked. >> reporter: this is the second time this month a wok at stanford university has woken up to find a man in her room. the most recent happening this past saturday night at escondido village. a large student housing complex on campus. a combination of houses and apartment units.

this student was asleep around 9:30 when she woke up to a man trying to sexually assault her. she screamed, he fled. that was the last she saw of him. describing him as 5'6", 30 years old, dark skin. police are trying to find this man. april 2nd, a woman woke around 2:30 to find a man in her room. he also fled. there have been no arrests. police are not saying whether the incidents are related. bob redell, today in the bay. laura. >> let's hope they catch him. thank you very much. let's check the forecast with christina. >> good morning to you. we are going to see a nice day. it's chilly out there and cloudy. grab a jacket. you will notice the breeze throughout the day. we are talking rain in the forecast, but not until wednesday. today's temperatures will be in the mid-60s. 62 for fremont and 64 in san jose. tomorrow, the temperatures are near 68 degrees. then the rain moves in late

wednesday. let's check the drive with mike inouye. >> we have early builds. now it's a steady hold for the slowdown on the east shore. 20 minutes from carquinez. a little slow for 580 but holding steady. still 26 minute drive out of the altamont pass. across the bay, we are looking at the san mateo bridge. we are going to get very slow soon. >> thank you. we'll have another local news update in a half hour. the "today" show returns in two minutes. have a great monday morning.

good morning to you. well, it's chilly out there. you will need a jacket. we are going to climb, mild conditions into the 60s. building breeze and the rain returns as of wednesday. the temps not too bad. 65 degrees in los gatos. 65 degrees in santa rosa. cooler along the peninsula. we are going to warm to the upper 60s tomorrow. then the rain arrives wednesday. a good looking week overall. hope you have a great day. don't for get, you want to keep track of your weather all day long, go to your weather channel on cable. >> rolling into new york this weekend, reviews were mixed to say the least. outside radio music city hall,

good morning to you, jeff. >> reporter: hey, good morning to you. sort of a wobbly weekend for charlie sheen. fans here in new york were brutal to him. here at radio city, they booed him so much, during one of his shows, charlie had to walk off the stage in the middle to take a 10 minute breather before coming back out. no question about it, in some cities they love this guy. in some cities they hate him. a lot. the question is, how bad damage is charlie sheen doing to his own reputation. new york, new york, make it here, you can make it anywhere. charlie sheen didn't come close, booed friday night, just minutes in. the rejection echoing through the famed radio city music hall. set off by the raw raunchy talk show, sheen's buddy asked him questions on stage, here, discussing his new york

accommodations. >> i'm surprised. i'm not staying at the [ bleep ] plaza hotel. >> reporter: the rough new york crowd had no mercy, some fans left halfway through. >> it was the same stuff. if this were on television, i would have changed the channel. >> it was good, we got to see the goddesses. >> it's awful. his ego is so completely out of control, i'm shocked he has any fans at all. >> reporter: sheen escaped the city and fled north for cheers in connecticut saturday night. charlie wasn't done yet. sunday night, heading back for a second show here at radio city. but would he be booed again? just cheers this time. sheen seemed more energized, out of his seat, walking into the audience, interacting with fans. he talked about returning to "two and a half men." >> i'll go back.

if they re-hire him. >> reporter: sheen even apologized to his co-store for calling him a troll. >> i called him a troll. sorry, john. you're not a troll. >> how did the show go tonight? >> i think it went great. we just abandoned the format that didn't work and just winged it. not winning, winging. >> reporter: there were plenty of empty seats and overall, they say sheen may be damaging his reputation. >> charlie sheen has become a laughing stock for many reasons but he can make a comeback if he comes back to the format he is most comfortable. >> reporter: i have been with charlie sheen and have not heard him say on or offstage one

positive thing about chuck laurie. he was at war with the guy. last night, charlie sheen actually complimented him and told the crowd chuck is a groit writer and had the crowd cheering for him. is this an olive branch for sheen to get back on the show. i asked one of his advisors and said we will wait to find it out. >> thank you very much. up next, would you hire convicted swindler bernie madoff to t onealassn ethics. the surprising job offers he claims he has received. and an epa - estimated 33 miles per gallon highway. all starting under $23,000. and what does your neighbor have? a bad case of car envy. very well qualified lessees can get a low mileage lease on a 2011 chevrolet malibu ls for around $179 a month.

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talking about his ponzi scheme and victims of his crime but it's his offers he claims he received from prominent business schools has people talking. >> reporter: he's the man responsible for a $65 billion ponzi scheme. bernie madoff has served almost two years of a 150 year prison sentence. is his latest interview, madoff sat down with a reporter of the "financial times." >> at the outset, he said, i take responsibility for this. i knew it was wrong and knew it was wrong when i was doing it. >> reporter: despite that, he's popular behind bars and said he's gotten job offers from business schools around the country. >> he did say he has gotten requests from almost all the business schools in the country and many interested collaborating with him on curriculum, some ethics courses he would be interested in working with and in particular, like to work with harvard and

northwestern. >> reporter: nbc news contacted harvard and northwestern and both schools denied having any contact with madoff. >> to hear them say that, doesn't shock me, you have to take that into context with the fact this man is a convicted criminal and known liar tricking banks and investors for decades. >> reporter: the director of the institute at dartmouth said she would never employ madoff to teach. >> bringing bernie madoff into a classroom has a popular appeal and like a car accident, people want to take a look at it. that would in no way be beneficial for students and no educational value. >> reporter: as a for madoff, spends his time working at a store and reading. >> he said i'm reading danielle

steel and that was one moment he was embarrassed or ashamed. >> i wouldn't expect to see bernie madoff's name on a syllabus any time soon, interesting for everything madoff has done the secret romance novels that makes him feel ashamed. catching up with the famous coaches on the new singing competition, "the voice." is monday... sounds like a mini-wheats day to me! and becka's science fair is on the 8th. she's presenting the solar system. hey, i've got just the wholegrain fiber to keep her full so she can stay focused. um, you rock. she'll be ready to rock. [ female announcer ] make your kids big days, mini-wheats days. packed with 100% whole grain fiber, kellogg's frosted mini-wheats cereal has what it takes to help keep your kids full so they can stay focused on the days that matter most. keeps 'em full. keeps 'em focused.

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back at 7:50. a few years ago, it would have been hard to imagine someone with a college or graduate degree working for free. as nbc kristen welker discovered in today's economy, more professionals are opting to become interns. >> hey, guys. >> reporter: meet some of the newest prosecutors in los angeles. they are dedicated, driven, and working for free. >> i have definitely found what i want to do. it's a question of hopefully some day getting paid to do it.

>> reporter: ashley st. john's jacobs went back to law school in her 30s and never imagined when she graduated, no one would be hiring. now 40, she's volunteering at a city attorney's office in a new program that allows her to try criminal cases with the help of paid prosecutors. >> i could sit home, be depressed, lose my skills or i could come down here everyday and learn something. >> reporter: the city attorney created the reserve deputy program amid a hiring freeze. he insists the hands-on experience is a win-win for his department and the volunteers. >> they're coming here and they're learning a skill. they're getting a black belt in life right now. they're becoming lawyers. >> reporter: in ashley's free time, she continues to look for a paying position, while her husband supports them both. >> we just cut back like everybody cuts back when they're living on one budget. >> reporter: while it's tough to get figures on the number of

graduates willing to work for free. one thing for certain, this economy has increased the number of people willing to work without a paycheck. >> for many college majors, it's almost become the default standard to ask for internship before they ask for a new job. >> reporter: with more than 13 million americans still unemployed, experts say internships benefit young graduates and it's important to set limits so you don't get taken advantage of. >> the strategy is devote statistics months to this, not time you should be afraid to throw away in your career because you're still learning skills during that time. >> reporter: that approach paid off for 24-year-old erin myrick. >> it's called strategic volunteering. >> reporter: she knows how to play often. she played professional basketball overseas after college but returned to los angeles to pursue a new career in communications. the first step, an internship. >> i'm a leo and an athlete.

there's no way i'm going to sit back and wait for something to come to me. >> reporter: after four months, myra's manager said the words she had been waiting to hear. >> we're going to offer you a full time position. yes! >> reporter: a new goal in a complicated work force. kristen welker, nbc news, los angeles. just ahead, jennifer catches up with the coaches from nbc's "the voice" including christina aguilera and will open up about the job and the tough year he she's had. ♪ ♪ express yourself ♪ ♪ oh, do it ♪ oh, do it ♪ express yourself ♪ hey [ female announcer ] coffee is like life. it's better when you add your flavor. coffee-mate, from nestle.

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good monday morning to you. 7:56 now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. day two of deliberations begin today. marla is live at the federal courthouse in san francisco with the details for us. good morning, marla. >> reporter: good morning. we are expecting barry bonds to arrive at the courthouse. plenty of folks from the media are lining up waiting for his arrival. there will be a readback of testimony from a key prosecution witness. it's a former friend and personal shopper of bonds. she's the only person with

eyewitness testimony. she testified she saw bonds get injected with steroids from his former trainer, greg anderson. court gets underway at 8:30 this morning. back to you. >> thank you very much. now, let's check the forecast with christina. >> good morning to you. it's going to be a nice day. the temperatures are going to be able to climb into the 60s. this morning, it's chilly. grab a jacket. this afternoon, mild conditions. a building breeze. later this week, the return of the rain. enjoy today and tomorrow. 62 degrees in fremont, 64 in san jose, 65 in santa cruz. san francisco, only 60 today. if you are headed to at&t park for the giants-dodgers game at 7:15, bring a jacket, it's going to be chilly. 68 for your tuesday. mike, what do the roads look like? >> this evening, more folks

heading over into the city. reminder, king street will close at 3:00 to 5:00 to reduce the congestion for the gates to open at at&t park. northbound is the commute direction for these spots. 85 shows slowing. get a live look coming down southbound through sunol. a fuel drive past the express lanes. a live look at oakland where the northbound side is jamming up. it will get slower in the next half hour. >> we are just a minute and a half from 8:00. you nailed it there. see you in

8:00 on a monday morning. it's the 11th day of april 2011. we have nothing to complain about in terms of the temperature. it's 53 degrees now. however, we've got drizzle and mist in the area. we've also got a great crowd outside on the plaza and it's nice to see everyone. i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie. savannah is here while meredith is off today. al roker is joining us as well. what's coming up? >> we'll hear about "the voice," some of the biggest names in

music, cee lo green, christina aguilera, blake shelton and marine 5 front man adam le vine. we'll hear about the show and jenna bush hager is talking to christina ago ago about what's been a tough year for her. >> also ahead, remember when abby sunderland, then 16, tried to be the youngest person to sail around the world alone? her sailboat was destroyed and she was finally rescued thousands of miles from shore. she joins us this morning. she's written about her ordeal and adventure. we have to ask if she plans to try something like that again. >> later on, watch out, fluffy and fido there is a new pet taking over the country. tastes like chicken. chickens are making a big surge as a family pet. >> if you name it, you can't eat it. >> don't eat a pig like that all at once. >> would you give nicky a

chicken? >> i don't know. if it gives eggs, why not? the gift that keeps giving. >> exactly. a lot to get to this morning. tamron hall is standing by at the news desk. hey, tamron. >> good morning, everyone. just days after narrowly averting a government shutdown, president obama faces new budget confrontations with republicans. on friday a bipartisan deal slashed $38 billion in domestic spending cuts for the rest of this fiscal year. now the president must answer republican demands to reduce the nation's debt by controlling medicare and socialle security even as he asks for an increased borrowing limit. a strong earthquake shook northeastern japan exactly one month after the devastating quake that killed an estimated 25,000 people. meantime, japan's government today expanded the voluntary evacuation zone around the damaged nuclear plant because of concerns about the long-term health risks from radiation.

libyan rebels say five people were killed when forces loyal to gadhafi bombed misrata. they stepped up air strikes in misrata and ajdabiya destroying 25 of gadhafi's tanks. members of the african union say gadhafi is in favor of a cease-fire as they head to eastern libya for negotiations. yemen's president insists he won't step down until 2013. protesters rallied in yemen following deadly clashes on friday. in syria, government troops sealed off the mediterranean city of beniyaz where four anti-government protesters were killed sunday. after a week of escalating violence, working toward ta a cease-fire suggested by hamas would be a grave mistake. a new law that bars women from wearing face-covering islamic clothinging in public

goes in effect in france today. violators face a fan equal to $215. the penalty is larger for anyone who forces a woman to wear a face covering. firefighters from two dozen states are in hot dry west texas battling wildfires that destroyed at least 75 homes this weekend. wisconsin was hit by seven tornadoes on sunday. that destroyed 25 homes and barns. on saturday, a tornado injured 16 people and levelled about 100 buildings in mapleton, iowa. back to matt and savannah on the plaza. >> thank you very much. >> now al has the weather. >> yes, i do. >> not sports. >> thank you, savannah. you want to wake up lancaster, south carolina? [ cheers ] >> who are you saying hi to back there? >> my four children, emily, elise, josiah and elli.

>> i saw you hesitate for a second. >> i was having a hard time thinking of their names! >> it's early, i understand. pick city today, green bay, wisconsin, nbc 26. a few morning showers and windy. 52 degrees. we have wet weather moving into cith pae ficpa northwest as storms continue to march across. we have the cold front stretching from the great lakes all the way down to texas. risk of strong storms from the gulf coast into new england. could be isolated tornadoes ahead of the system. record highs, plenty of sunshine. cooler weather through the plains into the southwest. you. we're going to be ay today. good morning to you. we'll see temperatures in the 60s and no rain today. just partly cloudy skies. the breeze will pick up as we head through the afternoon. 62 degrees in fremont. 64 san jose. 60 degrees in the city by the bay. a little warmer tomorrow. that's a good day for outdoor plans because the rain arrives

on wednesday. 65 degrees thursday, nice and clear. then a warmup for the weekend. mr. matt >> where are you guys from? >> when we come back, christina aguilera opens up about a judge and diffill.fis in life as well. h sages. [ male announcer ] a pinnacle fishing rod, a tackle box, and ozark trail tent, and an air horn. come on, boys! let's go! let's get up! this is a fishing trip, not a sleeping trip. all right. that's what you ask for, you're gonna get this, huh?

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the new singing competition "the voice" premieres on nbc on april 26 and features some of music's biggest names. jenna bush hager caught up with them. another good assignment. >> lots of fun. good morning. "the voice" has superstars evaluate and eliminate wannabe singers hoping to braeeak into e music industry and while it may sound like that other singing competition, this one has a new spin. ♪ >> reporter: several weeks of singing and eliminations. with an occasional pat on the back from a big name celebrity artist. >> i was dying to see what you looked like. ♪ >> reporter: then america decides who has the voice to make it in the recording industry. the concept may sound familiar.

but "the voice" on nbc puts a new spin on the conventional tv singing competition. ♪ >> we're not just watching a performance and judginging them based on what we see. >> reporter: during the initial performance the judges never see the contestant. they sit with their backs to the contestant. >> you were sitting in the chair, the star of "the voice." if you hear a voice you like you hit a button and it turns the chair around. >> reporter: this is an honor to sit here. whose chair is it? >> cee lo's. >> reporter: my favorite. currently on tour with the top song topping the charts, cee lo signed on with "the voice" to find new talent. >> it's fwrat identify i ee's g. it's great show. i'm glad to be a part of it.

>> reporter: pop diva, christina ago ago. country singer blake shelton. >> why should i choose you oversee low? >> he dresses like a peacock. >> reporter: and maroon 5's front man adam levine. each eliminating singers until each team member has one member left. ♪ >> we are looking for something that moves you and inspires you. >> reporter: making headlines for forgetting the lyrics to the national anthem at this year's super bowl, filing for divorce and a recent arrest for public intoxication, christina ago ago sa -- christina says the new gig comes at a good time for her. >> lots of things, emotions stir up. it was a tough year. but, you know, you learn from the tough times. you know, you rebound.

>> reporter: adding to the pressure of coaching immature singers, blake shelton is taking on the role of wedding planner as well. what's more nerve wracking, this show or planning the wedding? >> are you kidding? the wedding part is easy. >> that's miranda's job. >> reporter: what's the dynamic like between the four of you? >> uh, well, i'm the mama bear. trying to rein in the rowdy boys here. it's me and the boys. i can't believe i'm witness to some of the conversations that happen between -- it's like three brothers. >> she's got to deal with a lot of far jokes. >> reporter: gross. >> or a teacher with little boys in the classroom. i have to do wrist slaps, get them in line. >> reporter: the coaches say don't call them judges. they don't watch "american idol" and say this is the only show they would be interested in participating in. beyond the great talent they seem to be having fun. >> last time i saw you, you were

singing with celine dion. >> maybe my star crush cee lo will have me sing. >> i'll be there for that story if it happens. a reminder "the voice" premieres tuesday, april 26th on nbc. catch a special speak preview tomorrow night during "the biggest loser." up next, the teenager who faced a life and death ordeal on her world. how that trip changed her forever, after this. ing fed on. we demand k9 advantix ii. it not only kills fleas and ticks, it repels most ticks before they can attach and snack on us. frontline plus kills but doesn't repel. any tick that isn't repelled or killed may attach and make a meal of us. so let's put our paws down in protest. no fetching, no friendship till we all get k9 advantix ii. join us at poochprotest.com. [ male announcer ] ask your veterinarian about k9 advantix ii.

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we're back at 8:17 with "today's update." you may remember abby sunderland from her attempt to sail around the world last summer. but her dreams were shattered when she hit rough waters and her sailboat was destroyed. the world was watching and praying for a miracle. >> good morning, breaking news, she's safe. >> rescued, a 16-year-old american safe after a harrowing ordeal on the open water. >> rescue boats are headed to the indian ocean where 16-year-old abby was found alive and well. >> nearly six months into the trip of a lifetime, more than halfway around the world, abby sunderland's record-breaking dream soon became a nightmare. a dangerous storm packing powerful wind and 30-foot waves te stairwayed abby's boat

snapping off her mast and throwing abby across the cabin. >> i just went flying across the room. i was expecting it to stop at a certain point and me to pop back up, you know, but it didn't. it just kept on going. before i knew it i was on the roof. >> stranded deep in the indian ocean, abby was lost in one of the most remote parts of the world. her family waited for a miracle. >> we're just hoping and praying she gets through okay. >> reporter: abby set off emergency beacons. a qantas aircraft spotted her thousands of miles from land. >> i'm happy to report they did find the sailing yacht "wild eyes" upright in the water. they spoke to abby by vhf radio. she's fine. >> reporter: she was on her bay home but a new storm was brewing. the sunderlands faced criticism for allowing their teenagered daughter to set sail in the

first place, a decision her father defended. >> the criticism comes from people who don't know the preparation of the boat, the team involved and the fact that she reacted the way she did and survive sd a testimony to how well she and the boat were prepared. >> reporter: abby's age wasn't the only point of controversy. there were reports that the sunderlands had plans to film a reality show. abby's fatherer wanted the show to be inspirational but said the producer of the show wanted it to be something else. >> he wanted it to be about me being irresponsible and abigail dying. >> reporter: a claim the producer denies. >> the fact that he's gone to news agencies saying we hoped for her death and it would be great for the reality show was ridiculous. i think abby was pushed too soon to leave on her voyage. >> reporter: regardless, the show was scrapped and abby shifted focus to the future. strong, determined and unshaken,

abby's sailing dreams remain alive. >> i'm not sure how many people will believe it but i think i like sailing even more than when i left. >> reporter: abby has written a book about her adventure called "unsynchable." nice to see you. >> hi. >> let's start with what you said in the piece. you think you like sailing more now? a lot of people would find that hard to believe after what you have been through. >> as crazy as it seems it's really increased my love for sailing. i have always loved it. love it even more now. >> i will ask you later if you will do it again. june 10 of last summer is a memorable day. you and a friend worked to produce the animation we are going to see that depicts what you went through in that boat. it got knocked down, flips over. the mast is snapped off. what is going through your mind during that time? >> well, any sailor that heads onto the ocean knows being hit bay rogue wave is a chance you're taking.

at the same time you don't really expect it to happen. when this was going on it was major disbelief. i couldn't believe my boat was rolling. i knew through this my trip was ending. >> when things calmed down and you could see the condition of your boat and you knew it wasn't going to be doing any more sailing and when you realized where you were in the remote corner of the world did you think about the fact you wouldle never be found? >> of course. in the circumstances your mind wanders. it's at those times it becomes extremely important that you control that. you know, you take the fear and just find something to take your mind off of it. >> i understand that from a 55-year-old. "control your fear." you're 16, in the middle of the ocean in a crippled boat. how did you keep it together? or did you? >> i had sailed my whole life. as a sailor, keeping control of your emotions is one of the most important things. i had been taught that my whole entire life. >> were there moments when you

sat on the boat and wept? >> of course there were times i sat there thinking, you know, i'm in the middle of nowhere. i don't know if people can get to are where i am. but i would find something to do, anything, working around the boat. >> you came back and everybody was wildly relieved that you had been rescued but then the criticisms started. >> mm-hmm. >> a lot of it aimed at your parents that they let you do it at 16, you were inexperienced though you say you had been sailing your whole life. you left at the wrong time of year according to some people and you didn't have the proper equipment. how do you respond to the critics today? >> of course there is always going to be criticism. you can never make anyone happy. but a lot of people don't understand the extensive preparation the boat went through. they also had a full-on weather routing team that routed people down that part of the world for years. also, i had a team of experts behind me that, you know, were a phone call away if i needed anything. >> there were reports of a

reality show. i think your family kind of took it on the chin. people said, you know, this is a publicity stunt. the family is doing this, pushing this 16-year-old girl out to see ill-prepared because they want to become famous and they want this reality show to put them on the map. tell me about your family. is there any truth to that -- the fact that they like the limelight a little bit too much? >> well, you know, if i had been out here just for publicity and just to set a record i would have left when i first decided to go at 13. i wouldn't have waited until i was really ready at 16. we were approached by a reality tv show. they wanted a great show, inspirational for teenagers about the american spirit and teenagers getting out and doing great things, but they were turning it into something we didn't like. we didn't like the direction. >> the producer disagrees that he was out to do a show about irresponsible parents and, in fact, after wiring your boat with all the cameras believed he

would be watching you die out there? >> yeah. i didn't realize -- i didn't hear about that until i was in the ocean. i was shocked because he had said all this stuff and here i was a few seconds earlier had gotten a nice e-mail from him. the whole time it was a lie. so we cut ties with the whole show. >> in other words, there are no plans now in the near future to do a different reality show or has that been scrapped completely. >> there are no plans for one. >> what about your plans? you're 17 now. you did this when you were 16. you still love sailing. you like it now more than ever. would you do this again? >> definitely. i'm working on learning to drive now. but the second a boat and sponsorship comes up, i will try again. >> it's all about money. you have to have the right funding and backing to make a serious attempt at this. >> it depends on what type of trip you do. i could buy a little beat up boat and work my way traveling around the world which i might do.

>> don't do that. all right? not in a fixer-upper.od, go h tu thanks, good to have you here. we're back after your local news and weather. good morning to you. 8:26 right now. i'm laura garcia cannon. the coast guard is warning people about rough seas along ocean beaches this morning after a boat capsized this weekend sending two men into the water and sweeping one of them out to sea. the missing man is a 52-year-old from san ansalmo. the coast guard called off an extensive search over several miles of open water yesterday. the man was wearing a life jacket, which was reportedly found washed ashore. his 53-year-old companion who had a life ring was rescued by a kite surfer who held him above the water until the coast guard could arrive.

the coast guard cautions other boaters to avoid the area for the next few days. right now we'll take a quick break and be right back.

good monday morning to you. back to work back to school. temperatures this morning not too bad. 52 degrees in hayward. 45 in novato. you're at 44 degrees in santa rosa. we're looking toward a pretty nice day. a little cloudy out there. those clouds will pass through as we head throughout the day today. 56 degrees by noon in concord and 55 degrees in hayward rounding out the day in the 60s.

62 degrees is the forecast high in oakland. 65 los gatos. tomorrow warmer and then rain arrives on wednesday. let's check your drive with mike. >> a mild drive for the south bay but an accident northbound 101 at move et. you'll find slowing through mountain view. unusual slowdown just popped up. 92 at 35 there is a big gravel spill there, overturned truck. no injuries but it could be an issue traveling between 280 and the 92 summit heading over the hill. over on the east bay northbound 880 at mowery avenue an accident northbound side. back to you. >> thanks for the update, mike. we'll have another local news update in about a haou hr.

8:30 on a monday morning, april 11, 2011. we have been promised the first real spring day of the season today. we are off to a good start temperaturewise. cloudy skies and drizzle. mr. roker is promising us his pinky swear that we are going to

have warmer temperatures later in the day. >> yes. >> how warm? >> into the 70s. >> great. >> a lot of people looking forward to that. i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie while meredith is off. tamron hall joins us as does mr. roker. coming up, you calling me chicken? >> never! >> no, but we'll talk about a trend sweeping the nation -- well, i don't know. kind of an unusual pet. chickens as pet. one woman has more than 40 chickens. we'll talk to her about why they have names, diapers -- >> diapers? >> they bring them in the house? >> stay tuned. >> more on our series "fighting for your rights." this morning the hidden cameras test customers as they get a $2 shoe shine. would you speak up if the results were not so shiny despite the cheap price? what if they use the wrong polish? we'll put consumers to the test. would you speak up? >> i wouldn't go again.

>> i was going to say -- >> go with the passi passive-aggressive approach. >> and i don't have shoes on. >> also, big daddy is in the house. food network chef mr. aaron mccargo is here to show us how to prepare steak. >> first, can we say hello to mr. paul reiser? [ cheers and applause ] >> how exciting. >> welcome back. >> years ago you had a roof, walls. this network has just run down. >> we need you back on the network. >> 12 years since "mad about you". >> yes. >> is this show something you have been working on for a while and wanted to do for a while? >> here's the sad truth. i was home, happy, had two kids and i thought they were enjoying me being home. two years ago my little guy says, dad, what do you do?

just go do something. so i made a show. >> the show is all about you. but then you have family and friends played by actors but they are real scenarios. are you getting in any trouble? >> you have to run it by the wife, the kids. but i have a writing partner so i say it's his wife. you would never say anything that crazy. it's fun. it is my real life. i play myself. all my friends have to be real. larry david plays himself on the first episode. couldn't be more thrilled. >> and helen hunt. >> she directed one of them. hopefully she'll come back and do some more. i had to make it about my real life because i'm not smart enough to make anything up. i said, we'll just write what actually happened. >> does itle feel good to be back? >> feels great. i did it for america, really, though, not for me. >> you're so sweet. >> unbelievable. >> 12 years, it's time. are you better off? i don't know. >> we are. >> it's time.

>> theoretically if this is about your real life there could be a future episode about your appearance on "today." >> absolutely. >> would actors play us? >> you would be you. if you are allowed to you would be you. we'd get a younger guy for you, but everybody else would be dynamite. >> this is a dream come true. you can cast your own family. >> exactly. by the way, that was no treat. the wife has to approve the wife, the kid has to approve it. that kid's not as funny as me, dad. >> you can catch -- oh, it's been cancelled? >> that was fast. >> thursday night, 8:30/7:30 central on nbc with the very young, handsome paul reiser. [ cheers and applause ] >> thank you. >> mr. roker. >> don't come on our show and diss matt lauer. well, good morning to you. we're going to see a pretty nice

day today with our temperatures climbing from the upper 40s and low 50s into the 60s. should be pretty nice by about noon already peeling off a layer. 54 degrees in oakland. 55 in hayward. we will see periods of cloudy skies overhead. those clouds will be streaming in from the northwest pushing off to the southeast as we head throughout the day today. a little weather maker to our north but it's going to stay to our north with high pressure firmly in control. 63 degrees today in redwood city. 65 in los gatos. warmer for tomorrow. your weather any time today or night on the weather channel on cable, weather.com online. >> was that real thunder or sound effects? >> sound effects. >> you're freaking me out, al. coming up, wouldle you speak up if you got a less than stellar shoe shine? we'll tell you what happened when we put unsuspecting customers to the test. first, this is "today" on nbc. [ wheezing breaths ]

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we are back now with more of our special "today" consumer series, would you fight for your rights. today the classic shoe shine puts people to the test. good morning. >> we asked a 20-year-old college student with no experience to get down and dirty and start shining shoes. the shoes were anything but well done. for over 20 years top shoe repair in rockefeller plaza is known for quality shoe repairs and a $2 shine that beats them all. on this day, we changed it up a bit and wanted to see how far you would go to fight for your rights. with the help of owner igo igor navatov and alex swerdloff, an aspiring actor and college student we wanted to see if a shoe shine gone. with speed and not a bit of

finesse alex shined shoes. >> that's it? >> they noticed how quickly it was done but paid anyway. >> how do you like the shine? not good, huh? >> fastest one i ever had. >> reporter: time to reveal our experime experiment. we're with nbc. alex is not a real shoe shine fwu. no clue? >> sort of a clue. >> reporter: what happened? >> sat down for a shoe shine and it was the quickest one i ever had. guy used water instead of cream. >> reporter: what was wrong? >> it was quick. the person didn't know how to stroke the brush across the shoe. >> reporter: why didn't you complain? >> i didn't want to make him feel bad? >> i felt it was maybe an apprentice. >> reporter: the next set of customers thought alex did a good job or were too polite to say otherwise. >> how do you like the shine, ma'am? >> i like it, thank you. >> good? >> yes, very good.

>> reporter: check it out. alex uses black polish on red shoes and the customer doesn't even notice. >> do you like the shine? >> he did a good job. >> did he? >> looks like it. >> i have been coming here the better part of 20 years. i rarely look at the bottom of the shoes because i know he'll do a good job. >> reporter: here you had a new guy. >> my shoes were so dirty to begin with. >> reporter: some customers quietly complained but tipped anyway. >> all done. >> do you want to buff them up a little bit? >> sorry? >> buff them up a little bit? >> pay attention to what he does. >> reporter: i guess $2 just isn't worth the fight. you even gave him a tip. >> i did, of course. he tried his best. >> in the spirit of dollars and cents, the couple of dollars would not make a difference to me, but to somebody first starting out it does make a difference. >> reporter: finally, two customers who did speak up.

>> you're done? i'm not happy. i want you to shine my shoes. >> that's a shine. >> that's not a shine. i'm sorry. this is not acceptable to me. >> all done. >> why? they're not shiny. >> yeah, yeah, shiny. >> no. >> yeah. doesn't get any shinier than that. >> of course it does. look at him. >> it's the shoe. >> i'm very sorry, but why would you go with a brush over the shoe after you polished it? >> i just want to tell you we're from nbc news and he's not a real shoe shine guy. >> okay. [ laughter ] >> reporter: how was your experience? >> it was very good, but i had to fight for my rights. obviously, i was close to doing it myself. >> reporter: you did fight for your rights. do you think that's important? >> absolutely. people have to learn to speak up. you pay a fair price and you deserve quality work. >> special thanks to top shoe

repair in new york city and to alex who took the abuse from a few. he did return the tips he received and everyone did get a free shine. so all's well that ends well. >> they deserve a free shine. what is the right way to fight for your rights? two bucks. a lot of people say it's not worth it. >> sure. two bucks is not your life savings, i hope. but whether you pay two bucks for a service or $2,000 you have a right to be reasonably happy. don't let a tiny price tag slow you down much. >> it seems again this is personal service. not like buying a car, saying i'm not happy with the car. this is someone's job and eitherer they do it well or they don't. does the personal nature make it harder to complain? >> that's right. if you do speak up, be very respectful. this guy is clearly not working a dream job, hunched over

people's feet every day for a couple bucks a pop. be polite and be specific like the guy at the end. not this shine stinks but, you know, can you get that stuff on the toe? >> you would also complain to the guy as opposed to going to his boss. i would feel bad, will he lose his job over my complaint? i probably wouldn't, but i might say something to the guy as opposed to going over his head. >> tips are another great way to come at it. everybody knows they are for a job well done. still, we all feel like a heel not giving a guy a buck or two for doing the job. even more reason to speak up, get what you want and be generous with the guy again. >> these guys work hard, by the way. >> they sure do. >> i'm glad you didn't abuse a real shoe shine person. a student, a faux shiner in there. appreciate it, janice. thank you very much. philip, thank you as always. up next, move over rover. why chickens are becoming the family pet. first this is "today" on nbc.

>> announcer: "today's pets" is brought to you by iams pet foods. life is better on iams. >> this morning on "today's pets" ruffling feathers. if you're an animal lover, odds are the family pet barks, meows or chirps but many americans think the perfect family addition is the clucking kind. jenna wolfe is here to explain. >> nothing wrong with the clucking kind. >> any excuse to play "the chicken dance." >> you will hear it again. you may think parmesan before pet when you hear chicken but some families are keeping chickens in the backyards. sometimes even in their living rooms, too. talk about crying foul. ♪ >> this is dotty. >> reporter: with names like

maybelline, oprah and barbara, it sounds like a coffee clach more than a chicken coop. >> they're my pets and i'm around them all the time. >> reporter: talk about doting. she can't get enough of her feathered family. how many do you have? >> over 40. >> reporter: over 40 chickens. >> it's just too much fun. >> reporter: at her home built coop called the omelet ranch her chickens lay about 30 egg as day. >> i look at them as eye candy. they're all really special. >> reporter: before you dismiss her, know this. she's hardly alone in her love of livestock. coast to coast, the so-called chicken movement has taken hold with dozens of meet-up groups sprouting up from atlanta to austin to hollywood. even tori spelling is in on the fun. oh, by the way, that's cocoa. >> chickens are a pet with personality. >> reporter: they are also popular.

in part because of the local food and sustainability push and the appeal of free fresh eggs right from your own yard, say it is author of "raising chickens for dummies". >> they are social animals and they like to be in a group. three or four is a good number to start with. >> reporter: you have heard the term pecking order. when you keep chickens as pet use learn where that phrase comes from. within days of being grouped together they establish who eats first, who bathes and lounges where and who's the most domina dominant. plenty of websites cater to every question. for pleasure eating there is backyard poultry magazine. if you are looking for chick chic, you're in luck. check out the diapers in various floral patterns. what does every pet seem to need these days? a whisperer. >> welcome to "backyard poultry" with the chicken whisperer.

>> reporter: andy schneider has a talk show. >> they can learn like other pets, come when you call them. they get used to a particular noise when you come out. if you have treats they know it and they will greet you. >> reporter: they are fun, kid-friendly and perhaps the breakfast they provide is the best part of all. at least that's what cheryl cohen thinks. >> nothing like a fried over easy egg. nothing like what you get in the store. >> it's a natural question to ask. do the pets end up as dinner? we were told generally if a chicken has a name, families spare the pet. no one's eating oprah. far more popular than i thought. >> coming up next, three delicious ways to prepare not chicken but steak with the food network's big daddy. first this is "today" on nbc. [ male announcer ] dandruff, meet micro-beads. any last wishes? new selsun blue deep cleansing micro-bead scrub goes to the source wiping out flakes before they flake.

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that i need to get as much blood to my brain as possible, just to make sense of it all. touch the ball. whoa ! get sharebuilder from ing direct. hey, my headache's gone. this morning on "today's kitchen" step by step, cooking steak three ways. the food network's big daddy is here with recipes from his book "simply done, well done." you say this book is for anyone who loves to put boldly flavored meals on the table. >> that's what it's about.

it's all about simply done, well done. just like the steak. a steak with portobello mushrooms looks complicated but i took the stress away. >> this is horseradish-crusted filet. >> we have horseradish and i like the jarred stuff because it's easy for everybody that don't want to grate it. get yourself some of that. smell it? >> that clears you right out. and this is dijon? >> dijon mustard, garlic, pepper, salt. >> so you're making a paste here. you will put it on the filet. >> exactly. >> and you will do something unusual. you will dip the filet in bred crumbs. >> the mustard will allow it to stick. the bread crumbs get nice and golden in a hot pan with oil. you get a nice crust.

>> this is actually going to go in the oven but you are searing it for flavor. >> get the nice texture on the outside. >> how long? >> three, four minutes on the outside. don't stress. if you have a pan that can go right in the oven, do that. i have the mushrooms to go with it. >> what else? >> i have garlic in here. we need a little bit of pop-pop, so i have red wine vinegar. a little bit of acid will jump off. i have beef stock. >> really? >> this is going to chicken up? >> oh, yes. a nice braise. a lot of times the mushrooms have their own liquids, but we are creating a liquid with the flavor from the wine, vinegar, a little thooyme, extra sherry vinegar and let it cook down. >> at the end this is what they look like. >> this is it. plate it up family style. we can do two and two or split it up with friends. i'm hungry.

>> you could do two of those? >> what? anything. >> that's the filet. show me your other dish here. >> if you thought this was easy, let me drop this right here. we're going to talk about that in a minute. salisbury steak bundles. phyllo dough, little bit of butter between each one. i have miniature steaks, mashed potatoes. >> where are they going? >> little bit a mash. one of the little steaks. >> on top? >> what's this? >> gravy. i chilled it so it doesn't cook the phyllo. >> is this in the cookbook? >> yep, just like mom used to make. even got the little sexy lumps in there.

>> you will cover it in the dough. >> and it will break down. >> is this easy to work with or does it always fall apart? >> this sat out in the air too long. keep a wet towel on that. >> you're tying wit a scallion? >> this is a scallion. >> so you tie it up with a scallion to keep it together. >> it's like tying on a loose pair of shoes. in the oven. >> for how long? >> you have the cold mash, steak. this is a hospital meal bumped up. we can eat. check it out. this is my favorite. this is the flank steak salad with peppers, onions, nice spicy vinaigrette that won't overdo you but will make you happy about doing something simply done, well done. al, this is you. >> i'm all over it. >> i like to do this. >> "simply done, well done."

big daddy, thank you very much. >> thank you for having me. >> we're back after your local >> thank you for having me. >> w[ coach ] in albuquerque,l citi pre-approved my mortgage. [ whistle blows ] all right, layups, guys. let's go. in sioux falls, i locked in a rate. coach, you get that house yet? working on it. [ coach ] the appraisal? ...springfield. wherever i was, my citi mortgage consultant had me covered. [ crowd cheering ] and 500 miles from home... [ cheering, cellphone beeps ] ...we finally had a new home. [ male announcer ] from pre-approval to closing, citi is with you every step of the way. what's your story? citi can help you write it. good monday morning to you. 8:56 right now. i'm laura garcia-cannon. this morning contra cost ra commuters are singing the highway 4 blues. a national traffic study shows westbound highway 4 from hillcrest avenue to so

maniersville road is the most congested road and six other freeways crack the nation's top 100 most congested roads. this week san jose could move forward with a plan to auction off permits on ebay. the idea is to cut down the number of clobs operating within the city from 110 to just 10. it is part of the city's effort to regulate medical marijuana clubs. the mayor says charging an application fee and auctioning licenses off on ebay is also a good way to raise money for the city. opponents say it will encourage the wrong people to apply licenses. a quick look at weather right after this break.

good morning to you.

we are ontrack for a nice day. 63 degrees in san rafael. 65 los gatos. 60 degrees san francisco. a little warmer in the north bay. no showers today but they will move in as we head through wednesday. the "today" show joins you right now. in our last editorial we urged the bay area's 28 transit operators to save $90 million a year just by consolidating functions like purchasing and planning. susan concurred. thanks for posting this. i agree 100%. liz added, i agree. isn't it insane how broken the system is? mark shot back, you've suddenly discovered that government is fat and inefficient. you want it trimmed, so do i. but those bureaucrats don't want to give up the plush life they have and their big salaries. stereotypes aside, we have an

update that two of the bay area's biggest operators, b.a.r.t. and ac transit, have begun talks on sharing administrative duties. though nothing has been agreed on, it's a start toward changing the culture and spending taxpayer money more efficiently. thanks again for your comme s editoriaan jols us at nbc .comeditorials.c. we're back with more of "today" on a monday morning, the 11th day of april 2011. getting nicer and nicer out on the plaza. looks like the rain has stopped for the moment. we'll have a nicer day this afternoon. meanwhile, while we complained about bad weather this morning, it's nothing compared to what other people are dealing with. out on the plaza i'm matt lauer along with savannah guthrie. natalie is on assignment and mr. roker joins us as well. think about what happened over the last 24, 36 hours. in wisconsin, six tornadoes

touching down there. some doing real damage. another massive tornado struck in a town in iowa, wiping out about half of the town. al will be telling us where the storm system is headed. it's covering a wide area of the country. >> basically from the gulf coast to new england could have severe weather today. as we look at another story, charlie sheen continues his tour. we'll talk about destruction of a career. what did audiences think when the tour swung into new york city over the weekend? at best, they are getting mixed reviews. we'll find out how he fared. and later we hear about people going into rehab to kick a dependence on drugs, but can you be addicted to food? it's as real and serious as any addiction. behind the scenes of a reality show with an expert of eating disorders. >> and on another note, any mother of the bride is excited for her daughter to get married.

you know the feeling. carol middleton, her daughter kate is about to walk down the aisle in 18 days. among other questions, what should we wear? the latest on mother of the bride fashions coming up. >> i see one of my favorite actors over there. you will talk to him. no teases. just a tease. let's go inside to tamron hall at the news desk while ann is off. >> good morning, everyone. a powerful 6.6 magnitude tremor rocked japan again overnight exactly one month since the earthquake and tsunami killed thousands and put the island nation on the brink of nuclear catastrophe. meantime, japan is expanding the evacuation zone around the troubled fukushima nuclear plant although officials say the latest quake doesn't appear to worsen the situation at the facility. after a weekend of fierce fighting moammar gadhafi told the african union he support as plan for cease-fire. rebels say they will review the

proposal but are holding firm that gadhafi step down immediately. today african union negotiators head to libya for discussions with rebel leaders. wild weather state side this weekend caused tornados in the upper midwest. the weather channel's chris warren is in merrill, wisconsin, with the latest. good morning. >> reporter: good morning, tamron. i want to show you the power of a tornado. look at this tree. the branches are snapped and pieces of metal have been wrapped around it. you look down here and we are at a place where they manufacture docks for lakes. those weigh 6,000 pound ace piece. they were thrown out here. people assessing the damage in the distance. storage units are beat up. out in the fields the trees are bent over because of the strong winds. there is debris everywhere and this comes from this place where we are right here. they manufacture docks and you can see this is the building where they do the manufacturing. there is no roof there. the owner walked us through.

you look up and you see nothing. parts of the building are over there, over there, all because of the destructive tornadoes we have been seeing like we saw in iowa. the strong storms coming through, in some cases taking away complete communities. now it's time for people who live in these communities, work in these communities to clean up and assess what's next. that's what's happening here today in merrill, wisconsin. >> thank you very much, chris. federal safety investigators are looking into a pair of small plane crashes. the pilot of one plane was killed last night when he crashed into a home near the airport in maine. the homeowners were out to dinner with friends. saturday, a plane approaching an aircraft smashed into a self-storage building. one of the four people on board was injured. parenthood may be piling on the pounds. the journal of pediatrics found mothers of young children were heavier and ate more junk food

than women without children. moms and dads in the study were less active than their childless peers. the top two slots at the weekend box office belong to russell brand. "hop" stayed in the top spot for the second week in a row bringing in $21.7 million and his remake of "arthur" took the second spot. action thriller "hanna" was third. now back to matt. >> thank you very much, tamron. al has a check of the weather. >> thank you very much. we have these young men here. what school do you go to? >> woodson elementary. >> do you want to say hi to everybody. where is that -- in atlanta? >> yes. >> say hi. >> good morning. >> let's check your weather, see what's happening. we have the risk of strong storms along the front. we have heavy weather, warm air

ahead, cold behind makes for storms from louisiana up to albany, new york, and new england. mostly talking about a damaging wind event. there could be an isolated tornado or two. good morning to you. it is a little cloudy out there. we'll see breaks of sunshine, a mix of sun and clouds for today. 62 degrees in oakland. 65 up in santa rosa. you're looking at 63 degrees in redwood city. tomorrow even warmer. the rain arrives on wednesday. we'll look at a good amount of rainfall coming down, maybe a quarter inch at best up in the north bay. 65 degrees on thursday. and then we warm up into the weekend. hope you have a fantastic monday. and that's your latest weather. one of our favorite actors, mr. alfred molina is back on "law & order l.a." it is back tonight with a two-hour premiere. this is a reboot.

you have rebooted the series and your character had a big change. >> my character started as a d.a. in the los angeles d.a.'s office and through a series of events where he's become frustrated with that decision he goes back to being a detective where he started. >> how is the transition as an actor? >> great. longer hours, more locations. the money's not so bad either. it works out okay really. >> and it's a fantastic cast but your other partner terrence howard will be showing up, too. >> that's right. we both get to work. >> when a show goes through a transformation like this, is it difficult for the actors or is it, okay, here we go, we are reinventing ourselves. >> we were under orders to keep on making programs. all you can do is keep working, do the best work you can and hopefully the proof of the pudding will be -- >> it starts tonight.

after tonight it will be mondays at 10:00. >> tonight we have a double header. two episodes tonight and back to the 10:00 p.m. slot. >> you have a new movie coming out. you're up against taylor lautner. >> yes, in a film called "abduction". >> nice to see you. coming up tonight, "law & order los angeles," two-hour relaunch tonight at 9:00/8:00 central right here on nbc. you're freaking me out with the sound effects, al. thanks. charlie sheen's one-man show came to the big apple this weekend. his shows at radio city music hall got mixed reviews. jeff rossen was there. good morning, jeff. >> reporter: hi, savannah. it was a wobbly weekend for charlie sheen. that's probably the best word to describe it. here in new york, the fans were brutal at radio city during one

of his shows. at one point they booed him so much charlie sheen had to walk off the stage in the middle of the performance to take a ten-minute breathe. in some cities they love him, in others they hate him. the question is -- is charlie sheen doing damage to his reputation? new york, new york. make it here, you can make it anywhere. charlie sheen didn't come close. booed friday night just minutes in. the rejection echoing through the famed radio city music hall. >> i thought we were going to be tougher on these people. >> reporter: it set up like a raw, raunchy talk show. sheen's buddy asks him questions on stage. here discussing his new york accommodations. >> i'm surprised. i'm not staying at [ bleep ] plaza hotel. >> reporter: the gruff new york crowd had no mercy. some fans left halfway through. >> it was just the same stuff. i mean, if this were on television i would have changed

the channel. >> what we saw was good. we got to see the goddesses. >> he was awful. his ego is so completely out of control. i'm shocked that he has any fans at all. >> reporter: sheen escaped the city and fled north for cheers in connecticut saturday night. [ screaming ] >> reporter: charlie wasn't done yet. sunday night headed back for a second show here at radio city. but would he be booed again? [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: just cheers this time. sheen seemed energized, out of his seat, walking into the audience, interacting with fans. he talked about returning to "two and a half men." >> i'll go back if they rehire me. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: sheen apologized to his costar jon cryer for calling him a troll. >> i said [ bleep ] i should not have. i called him a troll. [ laughter ] >> sorry, jon.

you're not a troll. you're a rock star. >> how did the show go? >> we just abandoned the format and we're just winging it. not winning, winging. how about that? >> reporter: there were plenty of empty seats and media analysts say sheen may be damaging his reputation. >> charlie sheen has become a laughingstock for all the wrong reasons. he can make a comeback if he returns to the original platform from which he's most comfortable. >> reporter: i have spent a lot of time with charlie sheen. i have been to most of his shows and i have never once on or off camera heard him say anything positive about the executive producer of "two and a half m " men," chuck lorre. in fact, charlie was at war with him. but last night at radio city he said, chuck lorre is a great writer and had the crowd cheer for him. is this an olive branch to get

back on the show? the sheen camp says not to rule it out. savannah? >> thank you. coming up next, are you a food addict? it can be as dangerous as dependence on alcohol, drugs or alcohol. how to tell if you are and what you can do about it. later, celebrity apprentice star jones was shocked when she hearned she had heart e tantspre she wants to spread the word to other women and save lives right after this. patients who use flexpen. lot from flexpen comes pre-filled with the insulin i take and i can dial the exact dose of insulin i need. i live my life on the go and need an on-the-go insulin. i don't need to carry a cooler with flexpen. novolog is a fast-acting, man-made insulin used to control high blood sugar in adults and children with diabetes. do not inject novolog if you do not plan to eat within 5 to 10 minutes after injection to avoid low blood sugar. tell your healthcare provider about all medicines you take and all of your medical conditions, including if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

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nearly 15 million americans have a serious addiction -- not to drugs or alcohol, but to food. a new reality show on the oprah winfrey network follows eight patients going through treatment for the eating disorder at shades of hope rehab facility. brad lamb is the creative producer of the show and he's here with us. good morning. >> good morning. >> it's good to see you. this is incredible. this story was something that from a personal journey that you experienced that inspired you. >> i struggled with food for a long time.

my folks struggled with their food, my brothers greg and scott, we struggled with weight as a family like many families do. it was really personal. i worked with so many people who are struggling under the weight of food addiction. i think we are not talking about it. a lot of people know they are heavy, fat or struggling, but they don't call it what it is. i believe that food addiction has to be faced to be fixed. >> we talk about so many addictions. you have the hoarding shows, addiction to pets in the home. how is food addiction different? >>le first off, we approached it with this litmus test. can we help people and follow it in a docu-series way so that it won't interfere and that people at the end of the show will be helped? that was our goal. i think that intention certainly played out over the six weeks we saw people go through this process of breaking free of food addiction. >> you had 4,000 people apply to participate in the show. you had to narrow it down to

eight. i imagine that was heart-breaking in that so many people have stories where they are in need. >> it was hearing the stories of, one, do you need help, can we help you and then it was just going through all the people that were raising their hand saying, look, i'm over here. >> it's interesting. what is the challenge, i guess, in treating people on camera? you always wonder how much of it is for the viewer and how much of it affects the person inside, their mental state of mind. >> i think a few things have happened that helped it be easier. one, reality television is so pervasive in our society that the idea of cameras around isn't what it was a few years ago. tinny at shades of hope has revolutionized the field of eating disorder and the treatment of it. she led with the desire to have cameras present but when it was a stumbling block she'd say, hey, take a break. >> what are the warning signs? 72 million americans are

overweight or obese. that doesn't necessarily mean you have a food addiction though. what are the warning signs? >> we can all identify with some of them. but you eat even after you areal full, until you're physically sick. you hide food in the purse, in the car. you obsess and crave over food. we can break them but you have to start addressing it as the food addiction. >> are people born with a food addiction or something you learn from other family members or just through depression? >> it can be situational or generational. we can grow up with it as part of a family. i think that was part of my story to break free. the big thing that will help people break free is help. there are groups like overeaters anonymous. i have a free 30-day challenge that people can dig in, change the way they eat. most food addicts eat because they have a lack of control over their emotions. >> it becomes a comfort. >> absolutely. people say they eat because they are bored. in fact, if you break boredom

into a feeling it's loneliness. it's a disconnect that leads you back to food. i challenge everybody. you don't have to live and die with food addiction. face it today and live differently. that's my hope with "addicted to food" on the oprah network. it will help people change the way they eat. >> thank you so much, brad lamb. best of luck with helping people. you can watch on tuesdays at 10:00/9:00 central time on own network. still to come, imagine the stress on kate middleton's mom carol to find the perfect dress. we have mother of the bride ideas even if it's not a royal wedding. and star jones on what elheing passi feeling passionate about after these messages. artificial colors don't rain nourishment down from the sky. and kids don't jump into pools of high-fructose corn syrup. or play in fountains of sugar on a hot summer day.

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you may know her for her passionate role in this season's "celebrity apprentice." >> she did not complete this task. true dat. >> true dat. >> of course she put the majority of responsibility on my shoulders. that was supposed to be a set-up but it don't work. when you try to set up the queen, make sure you kill her. >> wow. words to live by. star jones is a spokesperson for the american heart association and speaking at this year's you're the cure on capitol hill. good to see you. >> glad to be here. >> we'll get to "celebrity apprentice" in a moment. heart disease is something that's near and dear to your heart because last year in march you had open heart surgery after

losing all this weight. then you find out you have a problem with your heart. >> i was pretty angry. i asked god why now after dropping 160 pounds did i have this? but i'm talking short of breath, heart palpitations, fatigue. i'm not talking that you're just too-tired-to-live fatigue. i'm talking really dragging. >> you couldn't blame it on weight. >> as well as just getting light headed when i would sit to stand. those are the typical symptoms of heart disease in women. >> you chose the american heart association to be your charity on "celebrity apprentice." for an obvious reason. >> yes. people don't realize it is the number one killer of all americans. it's the number one killer of blacks and of women. it beats the next four killers combined. that means all forms of cancer. i thought i would use this amazing platform of "celebrity apprentice" to bring awareness to this disease. >> how is it going so far?

>> let's just say we are talking it up, baby. i'm excited about national lobby day over the next couple of days in washington. we are emphasizing the need for funding to eradicate heart disease in this country. >> in this climate with the economy the way it is, ironically you're going to congress where we have had talk about budget cuts, how important is it for fund-raising for the american heart association? >> very important. we do get a significant amount of funds from the private sector. but basic research, cell to cell research, the cure is going to come from nih. the amount of work they do on behalf of those of us with heart disease, 82 million americans, is absolutely necessary for us to get this money. we also want to emphasize the fit kids act. it's important for us to eradicate obesity with children. if we don't do that for the next generation, it will cost us more money for our generation. >> you're doing good work, star.

and we'll watch "celebrity apprentice." >> indeed. >> still to come, he's fired. we'll check in with mark mcgrath. first your local news and weather. news and weather. promise flights for 25,000 miles, but... [ man ] there's never any seats for 25,000 miles. frustrating, isn't it? but that won't happen with the capital one venture card. you can book any airline anytime. hey, i just said that. after all, isn't traveling hard enough? ow. [ male announcer ] to get the flights you want, sign up for a venture card at capitalone.com. what's in your wallet? uh, it's okay. i've played a pilot before. there's another way to minimize litter box odor: purina tidy cats. our premium litters now work harder to help neutralize odors in multiple cat homes. purina tidy cats. keep your home smelling like home. here's to my pants not leaving marks on my waist.

achieve small wins with a healthy lifestyle and dannon light & fit. the light fresh yogurt with 80 calories vs. 100 in the other leading brand. here's to 80 calories tasting crazy good. live light and fit. good morning everybody. it's 9:26. i'm brent cannon. no change in the condition of giants fan brian stowe still in a los angeles hospital suffering from brain trauma. tonight the giants will host the dodgers for the first time since that attack. the giants will honor stowe before the game and then it's going to be a fundraiser to help support his family. two men attacked stowe outside a dodger stadium on march 31st. security will be tight at at&t park because the dodgers are in town. a spokes person for the team says there will be security equivalent to a postseason game. there is some kind of concerted

pay back on dodger fans now with messages on sites like craigslist encouraging retaliation. uniformed officers will be inside and outside the ballpark and will also be monitoring social networking sites and keeping an eye out for threats of violence. right now we want to check your monday morning forecast with christina. good morning to you. we're looking at a mild start and mild afternoon. our temperatures are going to climb into the 60s but you'll still need that jacket. i think later on this week we' too a tre big rhtak now. we'll be back with traffic.

never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. 60 miles compared to what a cancer patient goes through is a walk in the park. from the moment i registered, people started immediately supporting me. i walk with my sister. our relationship has gone to a whole new level because of training together. you meet the most wonderful, inspiring people. when you accomplish those 60 miles, it's truly life-changing. (man) register today for the... because everyone deserves a lifetime. i want to take you to an ongoing issue for the peninsula highway 92 at 35 going through the hills just off 280 heading toward half moon bay a big problem with an overturned rig still there. they have to clear up that gravel, big problem as far as folks trying to get over the hill or back from the hill. doesn't sound like a hazmat situation but a lot of cleanup

continu continues. southbound 101 to the san mateo bridge. oakland we see a nice smooth flow of traffic for the area. northbound heading past the coliseum just starting to lighten up a bit heading past high street. then clears as you get through downtown and once you get through that 1 or 2-mile section on 880. a live look at the toll plaza as well. the metering lights were turned off after just three hours this morning so even though we saw an early start to the slowdown for antioch and livermore we see an early clearup into the city but more folks heading over for the 7:15 game. streets around at&t park closed around 3:00 for king street and the vicinity around the ballpark. back to you. >> wonder if there are a few folks waiting for the price to change too before they head across. more local news in half an hour. the "today" show in less than a minute. have a great monday. see you in a bit.

it's after 10:00. i don't see why she has to have this pain. >> ma'am, it's not my patient. >> it's time for her shot. do something. all she has to do is hold on until 10:00 and it's past 10:00. my daughter is in pain. give her the shot. give my daughter the shot! >> nominated for best actress oscar five times, shirley mclean won for this classic performance in "taeerms of endearment." we'll talk about her latest project. i'm over all that.

>> don't rename it. >> she can name the book whatever she wants. >> meanwhile coming up in this half hour kate middleton's mom is probably made her mind up. after all a billion eyes will be on her, but what will you wear when you're mother of the bride? that's kate middleton's mom. a beautiful woman. imagine the intimidation. you want to look as good as your daughter because it's her big day, but you want to look stunning. we'll look at cool fashions. >> and cup cakes are the new doe nut, hotter than ever. but you don't have to go to a fancy bakery. you can make delicious baked treats in your own kitchen. this morning we'll have three favorites -- red velvet, boston cream and black bottom. >> hey now. >> first how about a check of the weather? >> i saw that this morning. >> just because the opportunity is there -- >> you don't have to take it. yes, he does. >> let's check your weather, see

what's happening. for today, the week ahead, below normal temperatures. rain and warm weather in the east. below normal plains to the southwest. mid-week period, rain in the northeast. also through the great lakes. chilly from the plains to the pacific northwest and the latter part of the week, the eastern part of the country looking chilly but normal on the coast. above normal temperatures out tree good morning to you. a mild afternoon with a building breeze and the rain returns as of wednesday. here are the tchts for today. not too shabby. 64 degrees san jose. 65 santa rosa. 63 degrees in redwood city. we are going to warm up tomorrow. tomorrow looks like the nicest day of the week. if you're going to head out to at&t park though to watch the giants take on theodgers it'll be chilly at 7:15. temperatures right around 52 degrees.

and that's your latest weather. >> all right, al, thanks. >> now we say hello to sugar ray front man mark mcgrath who was eliminated on "celebrity apprentice" last night. >> good morning. guys. i'm used to getting fired. feels at home. >> wow. >> a lot of people think gary busey is the weakest link on the team. do you think he should have been fired? >> i love gary like everybody else does. i'm entertained but something about the force of gary busey is keeping him on the show. if you find out why he's on the show you will fine out why i was fired. >> the force of gary busey. what's going on in that head? i watch every episode. >> he's a creative guy. >> look at you in the hat, by the way. >> one of my best looks. adam ant wants his hat back. gary works in his own world. we have a short time to do a task and it's difficult. i love him. 99% of the time we were laughing, having fun. the show shows it differently.

i wish him good luck the rest of the way. there are smart people left. star jones is incredible, marlee matal matalin, john rich. very capable competitors. >> now that you are out, i think the women's team is stronger. >> i would radically disagree. >> whoa! >> backbone, the team is strong. even with gary's distractions. >> we have to ask about a certain someone on the show. mr. trump said he's going to run for president and he's serious. >> right. we are talk b about mr. trump as a serious candidate for president. >> would you say "you're hired"? >> why not? he has great ideas. it's great for the show, "celebrity apprentice." keep running, dond. go, baby, go. >> i think he'd be capable, interesting to say the least.

>> now you were playing on behalf of the save the music foundation. >> i wish i could have won more money for them. they keep music programs in public schools. all the budgetary cutbacks, the first thing to go is the arts. they do great work in keeping instruments in schools. if it wasn't for save the music there would be no pearl jam, led zeppelin, sugar ray. that's a plus to some people. >> how do they donate? >> go to vh1, save the music.com. donate a couple of bucks if you can. >> i will donate if the women win. >> good deal. >> i will donate either way. >> absolutely. >> mark, good to have you here. sorry about the firing. >> that's all right. >> he's like, i'm cool. >> "celebrity apprentice" is on sundays at 9:00/8:00 central here on nbc. up next, inspired by the royal wedding? we'll look at the latest in mother of the bride fashion. [train whistle blowing]

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this morning on "today style," the mother of the bride. the royal wedding may be all about kate middleton, but let's not forget the all-important mother of the bride. it is a big day for her, too, as it is for any mom when she watches her beautiful daughter walk down the aisle. jill martin has some of the new mother of the bride styles. the moms look so beautiful.

>> a happy segment. everybody makes it about the bride but it's about mom, too. that's appropriate with the mind-set that the bride is the center of attention. >> i think whatever the dress code is, you go up two notches. i will show you the different themes and you can adjust. it is the mom's day as well. >> all right. let's get started. first is nancy, her daughter katie is getting married in october. this is nancy's lovely look. what category or trend does it fall under? >> this is an afternoon into evening wedding. you expect most people probably to be in cocktail or tea length dresses. this is mom, so we kicked it up a notch. $248. all the dresses we'll show are under $250. you can get the look for less. on the side you see a broach there which highlights the dress. take your grandmother's old broach or something in the family to add. there's the wrap, too, for the

religious service before. >> this color is stunning. katie is getting married in the fall, so this seems to be a color that would fall in nicely. >> it's a summer fall, day or night. the theme of the wedding is purple. so we were going back and forth. this is a blue so she'll look great in the pictures. you have to think about what the bridesmaids will be wearing. you're going to be in those pictures. this stays in theme. >> nancy, you look stunning, like a queen. >> thank you. >> next up is shelly myerson. her daughter is getting married in august on cape cod. why did you choose this specific dress for that? >> we had so much fun. this invitation is beach chic and no one knows what that means. if you're a guest you will probably be in a sun dress with a wrap. again, we go two notches up. this is from k.m. collections, available at macy's. i love that this is two pieces. so if you have a different upper

half, and a separate bottom you can pick two sizes, as i embarrass her. and look at the length. and it's tea length. >> shelly said, what? >> we talked about what word to use that she would feel comfortable. super hot. >> so we just paired it with a great pair of sandals from nina shoes to make it pop. look at the turquoise bringing us into summer. this is just really mixing and matching to make yourself look special and apart from the guests. >> you look very, very pretty. thank you so much. i love the detail on the bottom of the dress. let's meet elaine. her daughter elizabeth is planning a wedding in charlotte. i love this color. does this work in the color scheme they have planned? >> it does. we think the color scheme, although undecided might be navy. she picked something in the family so the pictures would look great. this is a great ruffle dress by r & m richards. we highlighted it with great

diamond earrings to make her stand out and there is a jacket. if she wants to dance the night away, elaine's a little wild. she can take off the jacket. >> she's so youthful. does the mother of the bride need to match the bridesmaids? >> it depends on the bride. we went through this discussing it. you feel comfortable in this dress. regardless of the color, but the big thing with elaine was she wanted to be comfortable. this was a really comfortable dress out of everything we tried on. that's key. you don't want to be uncomfortable at the wedding. >> it could be hours. you look beautiful, elaine. >> thank you. >> next up is the black tie wedding theme. let's meet christine. her daughter ariana is marrying john this summer on long island near the beach. va-va-voom. >> i know. we weren't sure, but look at this dress. she just looks gorgeous. again, the broach here, just to bring out a little bling. look at the earrings. this is interesting. by roberta chiarella. the daughter's color is purple.

so we brought in the purple earring which looked like angelina jolie's but gives the idea of that. and the nina clutch. >> it just works. absolutely beautiful. i can't wait to see the bedding pictures. you're -- wedding pictures. you're beautiful. lastly, we have ava. she's the mother of the groom and an important part of this. the groom's mom has to stand out as well. ava's daughter-in-law is "today" show manager jim gotti's. you look fantastic. >> i love her. she said they are getting married in atlantic city. she wants to party and look sparkly. she said, i won't be on the tables but i will be dancing a lot. there is a lot of sparkle in the dress and another jacket she can take off if she dances a lot. $179. >> you've got the bling. if you don't win any cash, you are the winner because you look beautiful. you look beautiful. >> and you feel comfortable. >> i feel wonderful.

it could not be better. >> all of our beautiful models. congratulations on the weddings with your son and daughters. we can't wait to see the lovely pictures. >> i know. >> so excited. >> thank you so much. up next, the secret to amazing home made cup cakes after this. home made cup cakes after this. on my waist. achieve small wins with a healthy lifestyle and dannon light & fit. the light fresh yogurt with 80 calories vs. 100 in the other leading brand.

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i decide how much to transfer and how often. i move a little over twice a month. i put part of my direct deposit... right into savings. i can change it or stop it... at any time. and if i need to get to my money... i can. building savings. i can do this. [ male announcer ] the flexible way to save. automatic savings transfer. with bank of america. . this morning cupcakes, step by step. they are the hottest treat around and we'll learn to make three different kinds of the old-fashioned sweet not for kids anymore. chris kim ball is here from america's test kitchen. good to see you here. >> pleasure. we're taking them from the kids. >> they have enough already. this is not a new dessert. it's been around for a while but wasn't quite a cake. >> in the 19th century -- remember that? >> oh, yeah. >> they had little cakes so people had individual cakes.

they are older than layer cakes. red velvet came out of oxblood, they had cocoa and sour milk or vinegar. that created the red color. we'll use red food coloring. it's a basic mixture. cream, butter, sugar, more flour. you can do this. this is a tablespoon of red food coloring and a tablespoon of cocoa. what happens is when cocoa gets mixed up -- >> that's unsweetened. >> unsweetened, natural cocoa. the buttermilk and the vinegar turn this slightly red. >> exciting. >> did you get enough sleep last night for this or what? >> i was prepping. >> he wants to get paid for helping me out. okay. put that in and do one last thing. >> what's that? >> whisk it in. >> look at that.

oh, that's red. >> that's what happens with red food coloring. amazing thing. any time you do cupcakes or muffins we like to use one of these. this is a quarter cup. portion it right in. back it for 20 minutes in a 350 oven. good to go. we have the frosting. cream cheese, sour cream, confectioner's sugar. put that on top. this is the part you suck right off afterwards and forget the cake. >> i just make the icing and eat that. >> that's it. now we have a boston cream pie. invented in 1855. chocolate was a rare ingredient at that time. we had two layers of sponge cake with pastry cream in between and chocolate on top. we have to get the filling in. >> oh. >> they often used a pastry bag but we didn't get enough filling. so we cut the top like this, cut

this off like that. >> oh. >> get some filling right inside. >> oh, that's smart. >> so you go to the bakery and wonder how they get the filling in. now you know which came first. the chicken or the egg. finally we have bittersweet chocolate, cream, corn syrup for a ganache on top. >> oh! >> everybody goes ohhh. this is a show on psychology actually. >> pavlov's cupcakes. >> mm, doughnuts. >> "the simpsons." here we are. >> that's it? >> that wille sit for 30 minutes. >> okay. >> so the one i didn't make is the block bottom with cream cheese and miniature chocolate

chips inside. it's a dump and stir. >> dump and stir. >> you like that. this is the red velvet and the boston cream pie. >> oh, ladies! they're not coming in. oh, we're bringing them in afterwards. >> because al and i will eat them all right here. >> ladies! >> thank you so much, chris. we'll be right back in a moment. we'll find tamron and savannah, but first this is "today" on nbc. oh, look, they're here. [ female announcer ] here are some great reasons to switch to at&t.

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and play them back... on any tv. nice. get wireless service on the nation's fastest mobile broadband network. i'd love that. frank! over here! [ female announcer ] just go online to att.com/comparesanfrancisco. call to get three services starting at $89 a month. switch and get the hd-ready dvr included at no extra charge. you can even choose wireless voice service. at&t, right? you got it. [ female announcer ] it's easy to compare online at att.com/comparesanfrancisco and see for yourself. all right. coming up on "today," the newest member of the joy fit club. she lost 104 pounds on her own. she'll share her secrets of success. >> and paul reiser is back with a new show. he'll talk to kathie lee and

hoda. >> and details on the new paychecks for the cast of "jersey shore." whatever they are, they're too much. kidding. it's a joke. we'll have that and more, but first your local news and weather. don't forget, you can get the res ci ciperefor the cupcakes on today.com. top. fo

good monday morning.

i'm brent cannon. dog lovers will rally at san francisco city hall today opposing plans by the golden gate national recreation area to restrict or even ban dogs from many bay area parks. some of the parks have welcomed dogs for more than 40 years. that rally kicks off at noon today on the steps of city hall. interim san francisco mayor ed lee eventually wants his old job back but it might not be easy to do. city law prohibits a mayor or members of the board from being appointed to full-time city jobs for at least one year after leaving their elected post. city commissioners will hear arguments to change the rule but 4 of 5 would have to agree. if not, it would have to go to a vote in november at election time. time for your forecast now with christina. >> good morning you to. well, it's going to be a spring like afternoon but certainly is chilly this morning. you'll want to grab a jacket. 65 degrees in santa rosa. 62 at fremont today. 64 degrees. a little more on the mild side in the south bay today. as we head through the afternoon our temperatures are going to hit the mid 60s but by 7:15 game

time when the giants take on the dodgers it will be chilly. make sure you bring a jacket if you're headed out to tant park. you're one of the thousands of fans screaming for our giants. 68 degrees. warmer tomorrow. 61 by wednesday. that's when the rain returns. but we get a couple nice days before it joins us. let's see what mike has when he joins us right now. >> a lot of folks joining each other here at the dublin interchange. slow westbound 580 and down the southbound 680 because of an accident on the northbound side. it's at the center divide, a distraction around beranall so the only slowdown but still heading west on 580 as well. on the peninsula side slow southbound 101 from millbrae down to san mateo, a little unusual for that extent on the southbound side but still lots to clear up on the peninsula as well. we also have the overturned rig on 92 right around sky light. still have the rig on its side, the big delays because of one way traffic control, for each direction of 92.

they need some direction over there anyway. back to you. >> thanks a lot. got you coming and going. more local news in half an hour. the "today" show returns in about a minute. meet micro-beads. any last wishes? new selsun blue deep cleansing micro-bead scrub goes to the source wiping out flakes before they flake. new selsun blue deep cleansing. never in my lifetime did i think i could walk 60 miles in 3 days. 60 miles in 3 days-- i can do that. 60 miles compared to what a cancer patient goes through is a walk in the park. from the moment i registered, people started immediately supporting me. we had an outpouring of-- of support. i wanted to do something bigger than myself. the 60 miles-- it makes a statement. i know i'm stronger than i was before, both mentally and physically. i walk with my sister. our relationship has gone to a whole new level because of training together. you meet the most wonderful, inspiring people. i knew that there was something really special about this event. when you accomplish those 60 miles, it's truly life-changing. it was three days of hope.

of love. of empowerment. it was three days the way the world should be. here i am, second year in a row, and i'm already signed up for next year's. (man) register today for the... because everyone deserves a lifetime. captions paid for by nbc-universal television from nbc news this is "today" with kathie lee gifford and hoda kotb live from studio 1-a in rockefeller plaza. hello, everybody. thanks for starting out your week with us. it's fun day monday, april 11th. i hope you had an awesome weekend. >> one of us is a little under the weather. >> we'll talk about our favorite things a little later and that would be this. but, anyway, how was your weekend? >> it was nice. i wept nt to a dinner party in great neck. it's on long island.

i went there friday night with jay and some other friends and then saturday we saw "youarthur" >> which did not top the box office. "hop" did. he's also in "hop." >> right. >> but i have to say it's been getting mixed reviews. >> so iconic. >> i love the scenes with russell grant and helen. they were so poignant and great, those two together. >> the way they were with dudley. >> i love them together. she's a newcomer, this girl, who plays a lively character. >> that didn't work for you. >> i didn't feel she was up to the rest of the caliber, but i thought she did fine. it was a fun movie. how are you?

>> i've been in rewrite hell. we are getting ready. >> almost time. >> i counted it up, i don't know how -- i'm running on fumes. i've had two hours of sleep the last four nights. the your resistance gets low. this is what i tried this morning, dayquil sinus. i had to wear a patch over my right eye. it's helping me. you're drinking red wine and it isn't fair. >> we have kids especially special from ps-372 outside. this is simon. it's called the children's school and we're so excited they came to visit.

where is simon? >> he's wearing a black shirt. if you were a partridge family fan it was a big night in atlantic city. david cassidy, wait, was on stage singing and guess who joined him. danny bonaduce. listen. ♪ >> you know what surprises me, all the times they were shooting, danny bonaduce was lip-synching and pretending to play the bass guitar. >> as was susan dey and the two, tracy you knew was faking it and the other one chris. was that his name? >> i don't remember his name. >> all of them.

anyway, they played a song and it became a huge sing-a-long. >> if that is the biggest thing that happened over the weekend, the world -- what else happened? >> well, charlie sheen came to new york. that was the first night was a big old bomb with a capital "b." apparently people were yelling. >> radio city. new yorkers are tough. >> you've got to expect a crowd like that. other people loved him, right? >> i guess. i don't know. >> no accounting for taste in this world. look what happened to pia toscano. >> she was robbed. you know she was robbed from "american idol." >> the judges think so. jimmy ivene from interscope signed her up right away. nigel lithgow said i am privy to all the tallies. she was never one of the front runners. >> the kids voting are 15. >> they're going to have to change the rules, sweetie. they have to do something about

it. >> at the end of the day, she may not have won the contest, but she won. she will have a huge record deal. >> i was kicked out of america's junior miss pageant at 17. look at me. that's not a good analogy. >> i've forgotten why you got kicked out. >> talking to a boy. i didn't read the fine print. you weren't supposed to talk to a boy. >> can you imagine the rules then and what it's like now? >> you know what it was all meant to be. you have to look at it that way. anything that doesn't kill you makes you stronger. >> that will be pia's story. the day she was told she wasn't good enough and ended up being her launch. >> so many talented people go into our business, especially acting/singing business. if you don't have the fortitude or the constitution you're going to need to handle all that rejection, you're better off finding out early before you go through all that pain. there is a lady in our audience today who does not want to go on camera. she is one of the dearest friends in the world. she is the mother of armey hammer who played one of the twins in "social network."

he didn't want to go to college. he knew what he wanted to do. drew and her husband said, no, no, no. you've got to go to college. they let him do what his passion said do. he just wrapped a movie clint eastwood is directing called "j. edgar" opposite leonardo dicaprio playing j. edgar hoover's 55-year-old closet lover. doesn't get better than that. and booked the role of prince charming in "snow white" with julia roberts. let your kids do what they want to do unless it's porn. >> if they know what they want. a lot of kids don't. >> if they know, let them follow their passion. i was rejected for so many things. each time it made me stronger. >> i think parents, it's funny. we are doing a segment on mom guilt. moms try to do the right thing. >> it comes with the territory.

>> they were saying some of the number one and number two things parents or moms feel guilty about is leaving your child with someone else when you go to work or somewhere else. >> it's always hard. breast-feeding or not breast-feeding, huge thing. >> also whether you should put your kid in front of the tv, give them junk food. sometimes you feel like your kid is winning. sometimes you're fed up, you're tired. >> a lot of single moms, they don't have a lot of options. >> even if you're married, if you're pooped and your child is crying and there is a twinkie and that will solve it right now, there is the why not do that? >> we'll talk about that later. there was a troubling article in "usa today" today on the front page. a very disturbing trend. young girls are entering puberty so much earlier than has been so-called normal. sometimes now girls are entering puberty by age 7 as a result -- >> 15% of girls, to put it in perspective.

>> it's 23% of african-american girls. it's an alarming trend. girls are not having the childhood they once had. you start dealing with hormonal issues when you're 7, 8 years old. >> talking about young girls getting their period as early as 9. >> even earlier. >> i think they were saying there are certain things that are controllable. why is this happening? what's going on? i can't believe it. but they do say obesity contributes to it. that's one of the things you can control. >> if a child is very, very heavy, it makes the body think, oh, they're older and they're ready to menstruate and have a child. usually girls start puberty when their mothers did. that's the norm. it's fascinating. i think about a whole generation of girls, perhaps, or a large amount of them, never having the childhood. they're missing it. we need to very seriously look at that. >> that is an interesting

article. >> you know what else we need to look at? >> we have to talk about this story. wait. this i don't believe and i know -- >> hoda is a cynic. i believe the guy. >> you are not going to believe it. there is a scientist who said he wound up with an std and told his wife he got the std from a mosquito bite -- >> stop it. >> thank you, anthony. anthony knows it's funny. >> anthony told his wife the same thing. >> scientists say it's physically possible to get an std from a mosquito who had bitten someone who had it. >> he was in senegal and he was there to collect mosquitos for malaria research. came back with a mysterious ailment. then the wife got it a month later. this man might be innocent. you are convicting a potentially innocent man. >> i am not. i'm telling you, you know he did not get bit by a mosquito with an std.

that did not happen. >> if you can die from malaria from a mosquito, why not? >> no. malaria, yes. we want to hear from you on facebook. >> we'd love to hear from you. >> vick's dayquil sinex. i'm well on my way. >> if the weather is putting the blahs around, you want your face to have a glow. >> what's with the music? >> it's our "favorite things" music. >> this is from nars and it's called orgasm. it's the one color -- that's what it's called. >> did you get that from a mosquito bite? >> we had that last week. >> this is the liquid version. get it. go, sara. >> i'm next? because you tease me about doing food, now we are working off the food. this is my polar heart rate monitor. do you wear one? >> i don't.

>> this is about $90. i had my last one for ten years. it helps you monitor your heart zone but tells you your calories. you insert certain information. don't leave home without it. i wear this every day. >> i want to show you this. these are so cute. we are trying to be green and better for the environment, forget the plastic grass. grow your own easter basket. this is real grass. >> this started friday as dirt. look what happened by monday. >> yes. >> friday to monday. >> i think that is a lovely idea. $8.99 at spots and ladybugs.com. >> love it. next, it's hard not to be mad about paul reiser. why he wants you to be home thursday night. >> no hangover for liam neeson. . well, hotels know they can't fill every room every day. like this one. and this one. and oops, my bad.

so, they give expedia ginormous discounts with these: unpublished rates. which means i get an even more rockin' hotel, for less. my brain didn't even break a sweat. where you book matters. expedia. how are you getting to a happier place? running there? dancing there? how about eating soup to get there? campbell's soups fill you with good nutrition, farm-grown ingredients, and can help you keep a healthy weight. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. girl: mom, can i have a dollar? yeah. it's right-- i think my purse is upstairs on the bed. it's not here. check the dining room. nope. what about your sister's room?

not there, either. the upstairs closet? the downstairs closet. there are no more closets. announcer: moms everywhere are finding ways to keep kids active and healthy. get ideas. get involved. get going at letsmove.gov. don't suffer waiting for your pills to kick in. add alaway. for fast eye itch relief that works in minutes and lasts up to 12 hours. only alaway comes from bausch & lomb. for fast eye itch relief, add alaway. for fast eye itch relief, want longer, stronger lashes? new almay one coat get up and grow mascara instantly lengthens. 98% of women saw healthy, longer lashes in 30 days. for your longest, most stunning lashes yet. almay get up and grow mascara. only from almay. only for me. [ rattling ] wanna see what's in it? yeah! whoagasp! whoagasp! whoagasp! you wanna make these? you put it in here? yeah, put it in there. ok, just press. i'm gonna give you some m&m's to put in there. ok! ready?

and then you wanna take this... ...put it together. shake it. [ giggles ] are you making them for the easter bunny? no, you. ahhhhh. [ female announcer ] this easter... bring a tradition... out of its shell. rice krispies. i did it! you did! paul reiser is one of those guys who makes you laugh just by being himself. >> 12 years after signing off "mad about you" paul is back trying to navigate life without

a must-see tv show. >> what would you say i do for a living? >> from what i can tell, not much. why? >> you know that form for the kids' school we got, "father's occupation," i don't know what to put in there. >> put down what you used to do. people seemed to enjoy that. >> i don't do it anymore. >> what do you think you do? >> make pancakes, tell the kids to wear a jacket. >> that's what frank gifford does. >> welcome back. >> good to see you. welcome back to nbc. >> yes. it is a pleasure. i feel like i've been in a cave a couple of years. >> men love caves. >> yes, we do. >> it's where you came from, where you end up. >> we are ending up there for sure. >> does it feel like 12 years since "mad about you?" i couldn't believe it when i read the note. >> no. helen hunt directed one of our episodes. we've been in touch. the minute we hit the stage, it was like the same thing. nobody ever moved. >> this is ripped from the headlines, this show from your life. >> the headlines of my small newspaper.

>> similar to "curb your enthusiasm." larry david is in there. >> somebody said this is sort of your "curb." yeah, because i'm playing myself and it's about things in my life. >> everybody else are actors, except for larry. >> larry david plays himself. very well, i might add. nobody is larry david as larry. we were thrilled. we said, okay, anybody wants to call it "curb" this will help validate or whatever. >> you're both up for the same game show in this. mark brunette shows up? >> mark brunette, a buddy out in l.a. and periodically said, would you want to do this game show? there are guys better than me. it's great, but i don't think i would be good at that. i don't think i would be patient or nice like you people. they said larry david is up for it. hold on, not so fast. if somebody good is up for it, maybe i should do it. >> you are writing these episodes, paul? are you writing? >> yes. my partner jonathan shapiro and i were writing these episodes. i wasn't planning to do it. i was happy and content.

my 10-year-old who was born after "mad about you" about a year ago after said, dad, what do you do? don't you have a job or something? the other kids, their dads do things. >> i live off residuals. >> somebody would come over and say, i really enjoyed your show. >> what show? did you have a show? >> you never showed him reruns? >> couldn't sit him down. couldn't care less. it wasn't animated. >> nobody blew up. >> no. i showed him "mad about you" and he'll watch something else and go, that's so much better than your show, dad. he's very sweet. >> you did it for him, you think? >> it felt like it was time. i had, things happened synchronicity. i was invited back. let me write and see what happens. i wrote about my life. what it became about is not my life and what i do so much as the world and the guys. you get to a certain point as a

man in your 40s and all your guy friends are people that you were assigned. these are the husbands of my wife's friends, my kids' friends fathers. i spent all my days with these guys. i didn't pick them. i got them. here they are. >> it's a mish mosh group. >> it's a great ensemble group of five fun, all funny guys. we try to find things to do because we are friends. we are playing basketball, very badly. dwayne martin is in the show who was on the knicks. >> has it changed from what you remember "mad about you" to the way it is now? have things changed? your feelings changed about it? >> i'm very clever because i wrote in the script because i'm older, he moves slower. he gets out of a chair slowly. >> has a little more gas than he had ten years ago. >> that's right. you went there, did you? it's like riding a bike. we started making it, it felt good. there is something about, i think, better because i waited so long. the show is informed by all the

stuff i wouldn't have done if i was busy working, having kids and family. it turned out to be a lot more universal than i ever would have imagined. >> we wish you great luck with it. on thursday right? >> thursday 8:30. right before will ferrell. you don't want to miss will ferrell? god forbid the tv is not working at 9:00? start at 8:30. i'll be there. nice to see you. >> up next, what one viewer will get for being an outstanding fan. betty white declared war on lindsay lohan? tell us it's not true. find out when we bring you the buzz. find out when we bring you the buzz. [ female announcer ] dove invited real women

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that music is a bit much. >> we like it. it's time to surprise one of our devoted viewers at home in a series we call "fan of the week." >> sara is here to announce the lucky winner. >> without further ado, drum roll, please. the winner is jessica mark. >> no! >> yes.

>> right here from brooklyn, new york. she watches us every day on wnbc. even though she is a graduate student doing all-nighters, she does not miss waking up early with kdg and hoda. her favorite part is "everyone has a story." >> the woman has taste. >> yes, she does. she loves and appreciates how the show highlights the stories of truly amazing people. she loves the positive energy and humor brought to the set every day. it's a great way to start every morning. a big thank you for joining us every morning. we are sending jessica to the beautiful ritz carlton in new orleans. >> fantastic! >> french quarter on world famous canal street for a three-day, two-night stay and deluxe accommodations. dinner for two and round trip domestic coach airfare for two.

furnished by the ritz carlton new orleans. >> she is going to love it. >> that is fantastic. they are beautiful hotels, but the one in new orleans, right there in the french quarter? that's your old stomping ground. >> she is so lucky. we are so glad she is with us. look at our little kids. come here, come here. >> i can't touch them. i'll infect the whole school. >> come on. run it over here. sometimes we just like to have kids in the studio to make it nicer. >> i would like to think that they are not supposed to be in school. are you supposed to be in school today? >> what? >> that's okay. nobody will know. >> where is simon? is he here? we don't know. he's not even here. >> thanks for being here with us. have a great day. >> still to come, how to get over -- don't any of your moms have guilt? do your moms feel guilty sometimes? >> maybe a little bit. >> we'll talk about that. >> and andy cohen.

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announcer: 60 minutes of physical activity a day and eating well can help get your child healthy. so keep them active and eating well every day. get ideas. get involved. get going at letsmove.gov. that's letsmove.gov. good monday morning. i'm brent cannon. now cal baseball has been saved attention is turning to men's gymnastics. the program was told it needs $4 million over eight years to stay afloat. they are halfway there. cal will compete in the ncaa national championships this week. they are ranked number three and they hope a strong showing this week will bring in more support. last september cal's athletic director announced five teams would have to be cut due to severe budget issues. but massive fund raising efforts have already been able to save four of the teams.

the sharks begin postseason play later on this week. they wrapped up the regular season with a win over phoenix on saturday. they will now face the los angeles kings in the first round of the playoffs. that series starts on thursday. it starts in san jose. game time 7:00 p.m. and it's going to be televised nationally. watch it on versus. we'll check weather and traffic coming up right after this.

good morning to you. well a little after 10:30 now. 10:28 to be exact.

our temperatures are already in the mid 50s. 58 degrees even in sunnyvale. 56 in san mateo. as we head throughout this afternoon looks like we'll be able to climb into the mid to upper 60s. tomorrow looks even better. much warmer. then the rain arrives as we head into your wednesday. so we'll get a little bit of everything this week in the weather department. 68 degrees tomorrow. 61 for wednesday. nice conditions. lots of sunshine for your thursday. let's check your drive right now with mike. >> we had a later accident. just a few minutes ago over westbound 80 on the east shore freeway at university. that's causing some of the lag we see there. but other than that, the approach to the maze and the bay bridge not a problem. metering lights still off at the toll plaza itself. we still have some slowdown as far as southbound 101 goes coming through san mateo but the big issue on that side of the peninsula is still that issue going on for 92 right around skyline, an overturned rig and a spill there. gravel, traffic control. our friend dave who works over on highway 1 had to go up and take sharp park over to 280.

had to reroute. traffic backed up coming over from half moon bay. into the city the game is tonight but the streets, some of the streets close as early as 3:00 to prevent the backup. >> thanks for joining us this morning. the "today" show continues. coming up next. we'll see you back here tomorrow g. we are back on this fun day monday. >> betty white, charlie sheen, lindsay lohan are all making headlines. what's true, what's not? you know who knows? andy cohen. >> how are you? >> charlie sheen. mixed reviews. what happened at radio city? >> i was following the twitter feeds of some people who were at the show. these guys who are the head writers of "letterman" were tweeting from the audience. it was fascinating to hear because it was this one-hour journey of having the audience in the palm of his hand then everyone at radio city turning

on him and then him just ending the show. >> this is saturday night? >> friday night. then saturday night he performed in the area, but not at radio city. last night was a little better at radio city. >> how does it get better? what does he do? sit with his writers and tweet? it doesn't seem like a lot of thought went into this. >> i was across town at "catch me if you can." i guarantee that was a better show. >> oh, absolutely. >> did you like that? >> loved it. >> didn't get the best reviews. >> you will love it. >> i heard it's fantastic. >> it is fantastic. >> i don't listen to the reviews any more. the things i love get terrible reviews. >> i agree. >> so "jersey shore" got a ton of dough. >> we talk about the same five things. i like it. the rumor is that they got -- they closed their deal for the new season. they are going to italy this season which is its own piece of garbage. >> poor italy.

>> that's another story. the rumor is they got $100,000 an episode. i do not believe that. as a reality tv producer, i don't believe it. i think most of the reports that you read about what "housewives" or "jersey shore" people make are erroneous. i don't believe it. i'm sure they got a big chunk of dough. that show averages astronomical numbers for mtv. at this point they are worth it. >> they are making a lot of money outside. >> right. personal appearances, endorsements. >> we've been talking about -- she is doing it right. >> that's the way. >> betty white, lindsay lohan. >> i like this. >> a very strange feud. >> it's a good feud. i like it. i'm sinking my teeth in it. betty white was quoted in the uk saying she doesn't care for people like charlie sheen and

lindsay lohan who started out well and then blew it. they blew it. >> she thinks they are not grateful, right? >> and they were handed something great, a great opportunity. >> i agree with her. >> they blew it. lindsay lohan said, wow, i was always a fan of hers and i can't believe someone of her age is trashing me. >> i don't think she is trashing. i think she is saying be instructive. look around, kids, save your life. you have so many blessings. that's not trashing. >> i agree. >> we said the same thing here. you guys are looking at me -- >> no. >> i'm highly medicated be kind. >> i like it when you're medicated. >> liam neeson was supposed to be in "the hangover." >> they cut his cameo from "the hangover." >> why? >> they cut his scene. they needed to do a reshoot with him. he's got movies stacked up like airplanes landing at laguardia. he is the king of action movies right now.

he is making "clash of the titans 2" and going to "taken 2." which is the sequel of "taken," so great. liam neeson is working like crazy. he is unavailable. so they cut him. so they cut him and they cast -- i'm forgetting his name. >> who? >> this is terrible. the director, the guy who directed -- no, no, no. i'm sorry. i lost it. i'm sorry. i lost it. >> and you're not even medicated. >> you don't know if i'm medicated. you don't think i pop a little something when i'm coming to see you. >> careful. look at his pupils. okay. >> it's because i had an eye job, as you know. >> we were reading about that. congratulations. >> care to respond? >> i have the most crossed eyes in the world. if i was going to get an eye job, wouldn't i get them uncrossed? >> we'll be right back. >> we'll meet the newest member

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self-conscious of my size, always comparing myself to others and always feeling like the big girl. my weight escalated and i was miserable. i tried all types of diets. losing large amounts of weight only to gain it all back and then some. in the summer, i stayed away from the pool or beach, dreading the thought of parading around in a swimsuit. occasional vacation via airplane was not something to look forward to as the thought of squeezing into my assigned seat brought anxiety. one day i went to our family doctor for my yearly check-up. he sat me down and proceeded to remind me if i didn't make a change, i was headed for medications and real trouble. the thought of not seeing my children grow up and be happy scared me. enough was enough. i decided to make small changes. i started walking slowly on the treadmill. eventually my son and daughter would press the speed-up button challenging me to work harder. my daughter marni thought it would be nice for the two of us

to sign up for a 5k charity race. even though i had my doubts, we accomplished this goal and continued to set new racing goals, including 10ks and half marathons. after losing over 100 pounds, i now feel a sense of freedom. >> good for her. >> we are going to meet dory in a minute. joy bauer is with us. >> she is such a remarkable woman. it all started with simple small changes. she had a daily walk and vowed not to eat after 7:00 p.m. at night. she had such remarkable results that it inspired her to make more and more changes. 104 pounds later. she is thin. >> she set goals as she went along which makes it easier to achieve. >> that's right. it's all for good. >> you can tell the food portions here. >> another significant change was what she orders in restaurants. she loves barbecue joints. she used to order the ribs and loaded potato, corn bread and

cole slaw. this is about 3,000 calories she still goes to the barbecue joints but salomon with barbecue sauce, sweet potato, steamed broccoli, 550 calories. >> that looks great. >> greek restaurants are her passion. gyros with all the toppings and french fries. now she gets the mediterranean tilapia with rice pilaf and spinach. no more pancakes with sausage and hash browns for over 1,000 calories. egg white omelets stuffed with vegetables. >> here is dory's before picture. come join the joy fit club. oh, my god. >> what? >> well, hello, dory. >> who are you? >> oh, my god. you are va-va-boom.

how long did it take? >> it took a few years. once it came off, i have basically kept it off for a couple of years now. >> would you mind looking so everybody can see. >> look at the waist line on this woman. >> she runs marathons now. >> how instrumental were your kids? you said they were moving the things up on the treadmill. >> my daughter was amazing. she said we need to try a charity run. i said there is no way i could run in a race. next thing i know we signed up and we attempted the run. we finished the run. it was amazing. >> dory's handsome husband is in the background. >> so proud. >> thank you so much. congratulations. >> thank you. thank you so much. >> all right. >> up flex -- >> you've got to pay attention when you have mom guilt. get over it. >> i have that, too. and a head cold. i think my purse is upstairs on the bed. it's not here. check the dining room.

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it's time for "today's moms" and ditching the guilt, if possible. if you've got a child, you know what we are talking about. babycenter.com said 95% of moms asked feel guilty about some aspect of their parenting. >> how do you deal with it? dr. meg meeker, author of "the 10 habits of happy mothers." and robin ludwig are here to tell us what to worry about, what not to worry about. >> hello. >> mom guilt is natural. a lot of moms work and end up giving their children to someone else to care for. they feel this terrible guilt that goes along with that. >> it is. i was trying to think when does it start in a mother's life. i think it starts with the birthing experience. we feel like if you don't birth your baby this way and you have an epidural or something, you're

a bad mom. >> there are those people that make you feel that way. >> exactly. >> or if you don't breast-feed. >> when a woman is pregnant, that's when her first relationship is with her child even before the child is born. in the womb, the child has an experience and some women feel guilty already. >> you say you gave birth to twins. >> exactly. my son is 11. i have this huge amount of guilt which never went away. >> based on what? >> based on feeling like i wanted to do this amazing job and realizing i was an imperfect person. >> you had two and you were overwhelmed. >> the second child was the guilt. >> oh. >> it was a metaphor. >> oh, i thought you meant actually twins. i was thinking i didn't know that. >> sorry. i'm on medication today. >> it's okay. >> there are certain things we should feel guilty about and things we are wasting our time on. >> there's true guilt and false guilt. true guilt is when we've done

something, we yelled at our kids, cheated on our taxes, we've done something we know is wrong and need to change course. i think 85% of what moms worry about is that false guilt. the sense i'm never good enough. i'm always doing something wrong. i think it stems from the sense we have, we believe we are responsible for our kids' feelings, their successes, their failures, whether they are bored or not. we are responsible for everything. this is wrong. we are not. >> studies show women tend to feel more guilty than men because we are more interpersonally sensitive. >> let's say your child is screaming and crying and say i'm going to put him in front of the tv and give him a twinkie for today. you feel guilty about it after. >> i think there is realistically always going to be a little bit of guilt. a little bit of guilt is not necessarily a bad thing. it keeps us on track. it keeps us with ourselves saying are we doing a good enough job?

if you have guilt where you really are doing the best you can and you're just being tough on yourself, you really are robbing yourself from self-esteem, from the joif having this mothering experience and really even bonding with your child probably the way you need to. >> kids know instinctively where your vulnerability is and work that guilt like crazy. >> they do. what i see in younger mothers. i think mothers are feeling more guilty today than they ever have before. we have more opportunities. there are more things to do. i think we are more competitive. at-home moms feel like i'm not working outside the home so i better ramp-up here. the sense we are responsible, we are the sole source of everything good for our kids, and the stress is enormous in mothers. we need to give it up. >> i'm old as molasses, but i don't remember my mother and father coming to my school unless i was in a play or something.

>> there was less role conflict. part of what gets us to feel excessively guilty, the stress we are not handling our roles well. if we are stressed out, care.com did a study. 62% of women felt they weren't having sex with their husbands the way they needed to they weren't attending to their kids. that gender conflict when we feel we are not living up to gender expectations is when we are hard on ourselves. >> thanks. i don't feel better, but thank you. up next, turning your yard into a paradise. >> first, guess what? this is today on nbc. , what's going on here?

i was only gone 20 minutes.

[angrily] you don't even need to say it. i can see the guilt on her face. how could you? she's my best friend. i could've been with ranch dressing you know. [silence] ranch dressing! ancr: veggies love tillamook. voted the world's best medium cheddar cheese.

as the temperatures heat up your living space expands from the inside to outside. it's time to look at your backyard. >> it looks awful after this terrible winter. after a mild yard it is probably in need of help, too.

billy darian from diy network has some easy tips for a fast-paced living. >> spring, obviously here. right? people are coming out of their caves. >> sort of. >> today it will be nice and warm here. spring over most of the country here. we've got to hit the backyard. fast, face lift, makeovers. this is a trough planter. what we've done is put rollers, casters, about $3 to $5 a piece. you screw them in. now you can move plants around the backyard, make them mobile. a lot of the invasive root species like the bamboos, cypresses, cedars, you want to keep the roots in here so you don't go to the neighbors and get them mad. >> we have one finished over here. you can see how it rolls around. >> that's nice.

>> this is mulch. we were going to play in the mulch. put that in there. >> love the smell of mulch. >> these stencils behind you are cute. what is that for? >> every backyard in my opinion or the ones i've been in have an ugly garage or ugly wall. this gives you a chance to bring in creativity to the yard, bring the kids in. we created stencils where we are going to -- you want to spray these? >> i'll take one, too. >> you create fun stencils like that. you can do overlays and shadowing. >> that's cool. we just did that? >> we are geniuses. >> it's brilliant. >> that looks cool. >> you guys are brilliant. stencils, if you're not artistic -- >> hoda is so thrilled because she is not crafty at all. >> i can't believe that just happened. >> you're a regular capasso. >> more magic.

we only have a couple of days to make amazing diy projects. these are pipe chimes. copper pipes. a lot of times we use reclaimed, things we find in the ground. you drill holes in them. fishing line through the top. here is the magic. a combination of ammonia, vinegar and salt, you spray on. if this was working it would be amazing. >> why are we spraying it? >> you get that copper patina old look. like this. finished. voila. >> that is very pretty. >> old pipes. >> and an old hanger. >> this is just a pipe and little piece of chain. >> take us to the backyard barbecue. >> i love a fire pit. >> this is the hardest part making the circle. put a stake in the middle. find the size you're going to create. put this in the ground. this represents your ground and move around in a circle. 30 seconds, let's party at the fire pit. >> let's go.

>> fires are amazing in the yard. it's intimidating, but this is made with blocks. stack them on top of each other. you don't need glue or concrete. >> thank you so much. did you it. tomorrow, how to reinvent yourself for the next chapter. >> e

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